The Cinderella run of NYCFC came to an end on Saturday evening after a penalty shootout loss to Columbus Crew SC at Lower dot Com Field. The loss sees City exit the tournament one round before a potential Champions Cup qualifying opportunity but sends them back into MLS with positive vibes given their performances against top level Concacaf competitors.
City shocked Columbus in the first minute when a defensive lapse saw Alonso Martinez in on goal. The effort beat goalkeeper Patrick Schulte and goes down as the team’s fastest goal in club history. From there Nick Cushing’s men controlled most of the half, controlling possession and creating strong passing opportunities. The home team grew into the game as the minutes ticked away, leading to the equalizer in the 41st minute.
A cross from Max Arfsten found the head of Cucho Hernandez to equalize the score and mark the turning point in the game’s momentum. Columbus came out as the more dangerous side in the second half, pushing for the game-winner and forcing goalkeeper Matt Freese into impressive saves. City also grew back into the game and came close to re-taking the lead thanks to a headed effort from Martinez in the 62nd minute.
Ultimately, neither team was able to find the decisive goal, sending this quarterfinal fixture into penalty kicks. Tension increased in the third round of the shootout with Diego Rossi and Maxi Moralez both having their attempts saved. In the end it was Rodriguez who missed over the bar and Dejuan Jones who finished off City in the fifth and final round of penalties.
The loss sends City home in what has to be considered a successful 2024 Leagues Cup. Along the way Cushing’s men defeated the likes of New England, Tigres and Queretaro in a very condensed tournament. Next up will a week off for City who will return to MLS play next weekend against the Chicago Fire at Citi Field.
STARTING XI:
New York City FC: Freese; Gray (90′ Ilenic), Martins, Tanasijevic (75′ Risa), McFarlane (65′ O’Toole), Parks (65′ Haak), Sands, Wolf, Moralez, Rodriguez, Martinez (76′ Bakrar)
Columbus Crew SC: Schulte; Moreira, Camacho, Cheberko (69′ Amundsen), Farsi, Zawadzki, Nagbe, Arfsten (83′ Jones), Ramirez (84′ Russell-Rowe), Rossi, Hernandez
SCORING SUMMARY:
1′ (NYCFC) Alonso Martinez unassisted
41′ (Columbus Crew) Cucho Hernandez assisted by Max Arfsten
DISCIPLINE:
26′ (NYCFC) Christian McFarlane – YELLOW CARD
88′ (NYCFC) Santiago Rodriguez – YELLOW CARD
photo by Jordan Bank