Embarrassment in Queens: NYCFC is out of the playoffs after loss to the Red Bulls

The day everyone was waiting for finally arrived.  New York City FC and the New York Red Bulls played in their first postseason Hudson River Derby.  The stars aligned for them to meet in the MLS Cup Playoffs.  The Boys in Blue upset FC Cincinnati and RBNY upset the Columbus Crew, leading to this Eastern Conference Semifinal game.

Citi Field was as packed as it could be with the attendance cap and short notice of extra seats.  It was also chilly and windy, but that should not have deterred anyone since there was no rain.  This was a derby playoff game, and the NYCFC supporters were loud and made their presence known.  The drummers were drumming and people were singing.  Fans also made their opinions known throughout the match.

Meanwhile, Nick Cushing decided to go with the Starting XI that beat FC Cincinnati in the penalty kick shootout a few weeks ago.  That meant Justin Haak was in the backline over Birk Risa.  Plus, Tayvon Gray was back after missing the last match but Mitja Ilenič got the start.  It was an interesting decision to go with the same lineup since the Pigeons struggled offensively in regulation.

While NYCFC was more threatening in the derby, they failed to find the back of the net.  The season ended due to a 2-0 loss to the Red Bulls.  Since this was against the enemy on the pitch, the result is an embarrassing one. 

NYCFC is out of the playoffs after the 2-0 loss

As mentioned, the supporters were loud and supported NYCFC as much as they could.  However, the team from Queens did not start the game well.  They were messy and not completely together.  As a result, the Red Bulls struck first and did not look back.

In the 16th minute, NYCFC failed to clear the ball from their defensive third.  Felipe Carballo ended up with the ball and took his shot from outside the box.  With pace, precision, and power, the midfielder shot the golazo into the back of the net.  There was nothing Matt Freese could do; the goal was brilliant.

NYCFC subsequently struggled to get anything going, and RBNY grabbed another in the 25th minute.  The red team scored off a corner kick and Dante Vanzeir was in the right spot in front of the left side of the goal.  He swept the ball toward the bottom right post and it bounced in.  Vanzeir was not properly marked, which provided the opportunity to score.

That would be the last goal, for NYCFC could not find their scoring boots.  Notably, they had 26 shots throughout the 90 minutes played, but the issues with capitalizing on opportunities that plagued them in multiple games this season returned at the worst time.

Everything that could go wrong went wrong.  Defensive errors, unnecessary fouls, poor shots, and bad passes plagued the first half with some improvement in the second.  Miscommunication, especially in the final third, was a major issue.  There were too many times when players were not on the same page with passes.

That is not to say NYCFC did not have their chances.  Alonso Martínez was probably the best offensive player of the night, for he had six shots with three on target. 

The team’s best chances came from the Costa Rican as well.  Towards the end of the first half, he had a touch in front of the goal that went just wide.  There was room to put the shot on target and he probably should have made the match 2-1 then.  After, he had a fantastic shot in the 48th that was saved.

Alas, the inability to score ultimately led to the loss.  NYCFC ended their season in the most embarrassing way possible: they lost to their rivals.  If this were any other team, then it would be a little easier to accept.  Yes, there was a point in the season that nobody thought the side would make it beyond the first round if they made the playoffs. Being in this fixture was an accomplishment.  Yet, this was a match they should have been more competitive goal-wise. 

In addition, this is a bad look on Cushing too.  The head coach again illuminated his struggles to adapt when NYCFC is down.  He could not adjust or figure out the tactics for his team to break down RBNY. 

When all is said and done, losing in the Conference Semifinals will always hurt.  It does not matter that the Pigeons failed to make the playoffs last season and then they finished in sixth and made it to the second round of the postseason this year.  NYCFC fans expect more and the team also wants to achieve more success.  There is a lot of work to do before the 2025 campaign begins.