New York City FC didn’t have an easy draw or environment to play in on Friday night when they defeated New England Revolution on penalty kicks after a 1-1 regulation draw. The weather wrecked havoc on the occasion and the normal difficulties of playing the Revs in Foxboro reared its ugly head again. Caleb Porter’s men were formidable despite recent form. However head coach Nick Cushing and his men were up for the moment and were able to pass this difficult test.
“I thought we improved throughout the game,” said Cushing about his team’s growth in the match. “We’re trying to find a way to win. We didn’t find it in 90 minutes but to find it in the end is a huge positive for us.”
City were able to take an early lead following a penalty in the box on Santiago Rodriguez. The Uruguayan stepped up to the spot and converted to give his club the lead. That only lasted mere minutes as a resilient Revolution stormed back and equalized off of an effort by Bobby Wood. Both clubs battled hard into the second half but were unable to grab the game-winning goal in regulation.
For Cushing there were many positives other than the result. His first team rolled out several unproven players in a high profile knockout game. Jovan Mijatovic, Christian McFarlane and Agustin Ojeda proved that they can handle the bright lights of such a major moment. In many ways this was a dress rehearsal for the MLS Cup Playoffs. One in which City showed that their young talent are ready to meet the moment.
“Our roster is strong,” said Cushing. “The aim for us is to continue to push, to continue to improve. The pleasing thing tonight is that we made three changes but the level was still there for us. The mentality to go and win was a huge positive for me.”
City now progresses into the round of 16 where they will play Tigres, possibly at Red Bull Arena. The two clubs have never met and while City may be considered underdogs, their youth and resilience will not be something that holds them back in such a major meeting.
photo by Jordan Bank