Attack-missing NYCFC beats FC Cincinnati via a penalty kick shootout in playoffs

On Saturday, everything was on the line as New York City FC and FC Cincinnati played their final match of the Round One Best-of-3 series.  The Pigeons knew they had a difficult mountain to climb to try and win away from home at the dangerous TQL Stadium.  The fans have created a superb environment there.  Although, that is not what any visiting teams would think.

Therefore, Nick Cushing had to put out a lineup that would give NYCFC the best chance of moving on.  For the most part, he did, making no changes to the team that won last weekend at Citi Field.  At the same time, it was surprising that Tayvon Gray, who missed the second game due to suspension, was not with the team.  However, Glenn Crooks, who does the play-by-play on NYCFC Radio, said the right-back did not travel due to personal reasons.

That is not to say that Mitja Ilenič would not do a great job.  He scored in the last regular season match against the Orange and Blue.  Additionally, he had a decent game last week at home.  The question was whether he and the rest of the roster could perform well on the road, and more importantly, score goals.

NYCFC could not find the back of the net, but neither could FC Cincinnati.  The 0-0 result in regulation led to a penalty kick shootout.  Eventually, the Pigeons came out on top 6-5 in the shootout, securing their spot in the next round.  This is somewhat comical since they were outplayed beforehand.

NYCFC moves on in the MLS Cup after a crazy penalty kick shootout

NYCFC did not dominate like they did in the first half last weekend.  Instead, Cincinnati led the charge in the first 45 minutes, maintaining most of the momentum and over 55% of the possession.  The offensive movement kept the Boys in Blue busy on the defensive end.  They were outshot nine to three, creating concerns for the fans watching from home.

The home side was consistently threatening too.  Matt Freese thankfully made an incredible save in the 31st minute to keep the game level.  Luciano Acosta had a brilliant pass to Luca Orellano, who was perfectly in front of the goal.  His pace and power made one think the Orange and Blue would go up 1-0.  Freese had other ideas, and quickly reacted, stretching out his entire body as he fell to his left to make the stop.

There was also a counter-attack in the final seconds of the first half.  Orellano again had a chance and three NYCFC players tried to stop him as he ran towards the goal.  The Pigeons could not, allowing him to take a shot that luckily went wide.  These moments though were not what the visitors needed.  Cincinnati was controlling the game.

The second half needed to be better and Cushing had to adjust his tactics.  But did he?  The answer is no, but NYCFC was slightly better in the second half with their play.  It was not enough.

One area that needed improvement was the passes in the final third.  NYCFC lost the ball too often in or near the box.  Passes were broken up or were not accurate.  They lacked the ability to create attacking sequences that were impactful and threatening.

Plus, the home team continued to dominate in the second half.  The Pigeons slightly increased their time in the attack, but it was not good enough.  By the end of the 90 minutes, NYCFC had just one shot on target.  Their best chances came from Alonso Martínez in the 81st when he scored, but it was offside and in the final seconds from Keaton Parks, who had the only shot on target.  It was an easy save for Roman Celentano.  That illuminates the game for the team. 

Similarly to the first game, the Bronx side could not do anything offensively.  The team needed the performance from last week.  Alas, the road woes followed them.  The difference compared to the first match in the Best-of-3 series was that NYCFC did not allow a goal in regulation.  This led to a penalty kick shootout to determine who would move on.

Subsequently, Freese knew he had to get stops in the shootout.  He made three saves while Chidozie Awaziem sent his shot over the crossbar.  However Thiago Martins, Kevin O’Toole, and Andrés Perea failed to convert their kicks, and it all came down to Ilenič.  The right-back took his shot and sent NYCFC into the next round of the playoffs by winning 6-5.

This was an incredible moment, especially since the Pigeons did not play their best game.  They upset Cincinnati and will now play the New York Red Bulls for the first-ever Hudson River Derby in the playoffs.  It will be another tough match, but NYCFC knows they can beat their rivals.  Perhaps they can go on a run in the postseason similar to 2021.