Though their match with Charlotte FC was scoreless after the opening 45 minutes, Los Angeles Football Club’s eventual victory was never in doubt.

LAFC remained perfect versus Major League Soccer expansion teams since it joined the league in 2018, shutting down and dismantling their latest first-year victim 5-0 Saturday evening at Banc of California Stadium.

Significant contributions across the squad, from defenders to attackers, highlighted LAFC’s pattern of success in 2022, which has been predicated on its unmatched roster depth and unrelenting second halves.

Goals from Jesus Murillo, Jose Cifuentes, Carlos Vela, Chicho Arango and an own-goal by Charlotte during stoppage time kept LAFC well ahead in the Supporters’ Shield race as their nearest competitors, the Philadelphia Union and Austin FC, were also victorious on Saturday.

LAFC probed Charlotte in the opening half, but were less-than clinical in finishing situations.

Charlotte (9-14-2, 29 pts) could do little else but defend and scramble while the Black & Gold sent wave after wave forward. Meanwhile, LAFC’s midfield — including MLS All-Star Ilie Sanchez, Kellyn Acosta and Jose Cifuentes — ably cut down counter attacks before quickly transitioning opportunities into their opponent’s final third.

With Charlotte’s high-energy pressing a non-factor, LAFC attackers, including Brian Rodriguez who made his first start since the end of June, danced in and around the box but lacked the final touch to deliver what would have been a deserved halftime lead.

Coming out of the break, however, LAFC ( 17-4-3, 54 points) picked up its stellar second half play.

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Needing less than five minutes to jump ahead following a corner kick. Center back Jesus Murillo, starting alongside fellow Colombian Eddie Segura while Giorgio Chiellini was given the night off, leapt to meet a perfectly weighted ball that was hit over the top of the Charlotte backline hit from 40 yards away by MLS All-Star Diego Palacios.

Murillo’s second goal of the season, off Palacio’s sixth assist in 2022, not only cracked open Charlotte’s goal, it kicked down whatever defensive posture the visitor’s hoped to maintain against the best team in MLS.

Ten minutes after Murillo’s header, Charlotte goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina attempted to punch away another corner kick. The redirection fell directly to Cifuentes, who volleyed in his sixth goal.

Prior to the last quarter hour, Cifuentes added his seventh assist when he floated a pass from the midfield line after a Charlotte turnover that reached an uncontested Carlos Vela. The LAFC captain, who scored in Wednesday’s MLS All-Star match in Minneapolis, coolly collected the ball and rolled it between Kahlina’s legs for his eighth goal.

LAFC pushed its lead to 4-0 in the 76th minute. The club’s leading scorer, forward Chicho Arango, tapped in his 12th finish of the season off an assist by defender Franco Escobar, who was one of several second half substitutes that, yet again, chopped up an opposing MLS defense.

And in stoppage time, LAFC collected its fifth goal — a team high through 24 matches this year — when substitute Latif Blessing created havoc in the Charlotte box.

Adding to its gaudy record, LAFC is now 10-1-1 when tied at the half and 13-0-0 after scoring first.