Wilfried Zaha scored his ninth MLS goal of the season before halftime to lead Charlotte FC to a 1-0 victory at nine-man D.C. United on Saturday.

Charlotte FC (18-13-2, 56 points) struggled to capitalize on playing an hour with a two-man advantage but still snapped a two-match losing streak after they got the goal they needed to move up to third in the Eastern Conference, above Miami and New York City FC on the tie-break of total wins.

Those clubs will play later on Saturday as the fight for playoff positioning continues. The top four East finishers will have home-field advantage in their Round 1 series.

Charlotte led 14-9 in total shots and 5-2 in efforts on target, with both of goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina's saves coming in first-half stoppage time. His D.C. colleague Luis Barraza was

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