3 things we learned from NYCFC's superb playoff win over Charlotte FC

On Friday night, New York City FC played the last match of the Round One Best-of-3 series against Charlotte FC.  The team began the MLS Cup Playoffs with a win on the road in the first game, but lost via a penalty kick shootout in the second.  There were questions about whether they could win on the road again in the third, but thankfully, the Pigeons came out on top, winning 3-1.

Two incredible goals from Nicolás Fernández Mercau and a goal from Alonso Martínez secured NYCFC’s spot in the Conference Semifinals, in which the next opponent will be the Philadelphia Union.  That fixture will occur after the international break.

Meanwhile, despite messy defensive moments, the players did well to limit Charlotte to just one shot on target, which was their lone goal.  Regardless, the home side was aggressive in the attack, and the fact that NYCFC kept them to one goal is an incredible accomplishment. There were times they were mostly defending, and players had to clean up each other’s mistakes.  The work of Justin Haak and Thiago Martins might go unnoticed by some after the great goals, but they were critical in Friday’s win.

The match was insane, and by all means, full of ups and downs.  Here are three things we learned from NYCFC’s win against Charlotte FC in the MLS Cup Playoffs.

Heartbreak in the middle of the win

While the game and win brought plenty of joy, especially Fernández Mercau’s first goal of the evening, there was some heartbreak for NYCFC.  In the middle of the second half, Andrés Perea came down hard after jumping in the air in an attempt to get the ball.  When he landed, his foot went in a direction it should not have gone, and it was immediately clear he was done for the season.

The despair on the players’ faces from both teams also told the story.  Perea severely hurt his leg, ankle, or foot, and the emotions coming from NYCFC players were hard to watch.  More importantly, the fact that this happened to the midfielder in the middle of a brilliant game is absolutely awful.  He was playing so well, and his header clearance was the architect for the first goal.

Watching Perea leave on a cart was heartbreaking.  Plus, it eventually impacted the rest of NYCFC and allowed Charlotte to get back into the game.  Of course, a counter-attack goal in second-half stoppage time by Fernández Mercau put a stop to that.  It was hard, but the Pigeons sealed the win for their friend and teammate.

NYCFC’s goals were all via the counter-attack

When fans think about the types of goals scored by NYCFC, counter-attack goals are not usually what comes to mind.  The Boys in Blue prefer to have possession and then strike.  But in this game, all three goals came via the counter-attack. 

Fernández Mercau’s first goal occurred after Perea headed the ball away from a Charlotte FC throw-in.  This led to the run by the Argentine, who ran all the way up the pitch to find the back of the net on an awkward angle. 

Then, the home side had a free kick, and Maxi Moralez eventually got the ball to send Martínez on his way for the second goal, in which the Costa Rican powered his way beyond everyone to roll the ball into the goal.

With the third goal, the Crown had a corner kick and failed to do anything with their chance.  This was during the period when they were outplaying NYCFC, and the Boys in Blue had other ideas.  Agustín Ojeda received the ball and sent it to Hannes Wolf, who began his run in his own half.  This kept the winger on side, and he was able to run all the way to the box.  Finding Fernández Mercau to his left, he provided his teammate with the ball, and a chip into the goal secured NYCFC a spot in the next round.

NYCFC will play the Philadelphia Union

The Pigeons already knew that they would face the Philadelphia Union in the Conference Semifinals.  They knew that if they were to move on, then they would have another challenging task in the MLS Cup Playoffs.  What they did not know was that they would now be without Perea, which is a given due to his injury.  However, they will also be without Aiden O’Neill. 

The Australian received a yellow card, and it was for a silly reason, too.  He hit the ball at Wilfried Zaha’s head when the Charlotte player was on the ground after a foul.  Therefore, O’Neill will miss the Philadelphia match due to yellow card accumulation.  That means NYCFC will be without two of their starting defensive midfielders.

Of course, Perea does not always play there and has been in the attack throughout the season as well.  Haak will easily fit in the spot, for he plays there and in the backline.  Additionally, the Bronx side can fit in Jonathan Shore next to Haak.  The problem there is that Shore has not played as much as he did in the first half of the season.  So, he might be rusty.  This could make the Pigeons vulnerable.

NYCFC had shocked some of the better teams in Major League Soccer this year.  So, like anyone, the team will have a chance to shock Philadelphia and play in the Conference Finals.