Messi, Miami Narrowly Edge NYCFC At Stadium

 

Lionel Messi took this corner kick in the 32nd minute. Photo by Jason Schott.

New York City Football Club was up to the challenge against defending MLS Cup Champion Inter Miami CF, but they fell just short, 3-2, on Sunday afternoon in front of a crowd of 45,845 at Yankee Stadium.

This rematch of last year's Eastern Conference Final lived up to the hype from the start.

Miami received a corner kick in the third minute, which was taken by Lionel Messi, which got the massive crowd going immediately.

Messi sent it right into the box, where Telasco Segovia fired one that was blocked, and it bounced to Gonzalo Lujan, on the left side of the box, and he buried it to make it 1-0 Miami.

Lionel Messi taking his corner kick in the third minute. Photo by Jason Schott.

It didn't take long before Messi nearly doubled their lead, as he had a point-blank shot in the eighth minute that the second-best player on the field, NYCFC goalkeeper Matt Freese, turned away.

That gave NYCFC a lift, and soon after, Nico Fernandez Mercau buried a free kick in the 17th minute to tie it at 1.

This was Fernandez Mercau's fifth goal of the season, and he is the first player in NYCFC history to hit that number in the first five matches in MLS Regular Season play.

The goal off a direct free kick marked the second straight game that he scored from a set piece, as he also scored one of his two goals against Colorado that way a week ago Saturday.

Nico Fernandez Mercau blasting the free kick that tied the game. Photo by Jason Schott.

Messi then had four golden chances, starting with a blast on a corner kick in the 31st minute, which Freese was able to get to at the right post. As notable about that was the anticipation of the crowd, rising as one, as he made his way to the corner to take it. (pictured below)

Lionel Messi approaching the spot for his corner kick in the 32nd minute. Photo by Jason Schott.

Then, in the 36th minute, Messi fired one in on a corner kick from the top of the box that Freese was able to get to in the lower left corner of the net, and to round out the trio, he fired one from outside the box off the crossbar in the 41st minute.

Messi also had another corner kick in the 37th minute, 

The game entered halftime tied at 1, even though Miami had 60 percent possession and outshot NYCFC 14-4, and 5-2 shots on target.

NYCFC broke through in the 59th minute when NYCFC advantage of Messi not being able to corral a ball as Miami moved upfield.

Keaton Parks gained possession for NYCFC, and he dropped it off to Kevin O'Toole, who fired a low pass across the center line to Maxi Moralez, who dropped it off to Agustin Ojeda, who had broken ahead of Miami's defenders, and he buried to make it 2-1 NYCFC.

NYCFC celebrating their go-ahead goal. Photo by Jason Schott.

This was Ojeda's second goal of the season, and Moralez notched his fourth assist. Maxi alsom had a goal, giving him five goal contributions in five MLS games this season.

O'Toole earned the second assist, his first goal contribution of the MLS Regular Season.

Miami went right back into NYCFC territory, and Messi was taken down by Aiden O'Neill just outside the box.

That earned Messi a free kick from a bit outside of the box in the 61st minute, and he kept it low through the wall, and it bounced in the box to get by Freese to tie it at 2.

Lionel Messi taking the free kick, the ball is on its way...

And he raised his arms up when he knew it was in. Photos by Jason Schott.

It was the fourth goal on the season for Messi, and by this point Yankee Stadium was electric.

Miami got a corner kick in the 74th, which was taken by Messi, but he opted to pass it back to Telasco Segovia on the left side. He then dropped it back to Messi, and it eventually got to Noah Allen, who sent it across to Micael, who came in along the right side of the box, and he headed it home to make it 3-2 Miami.

There was some controversy in the 76th minute when Miami goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair, went to grab a lofting shot/pass from Moralez, with Ojeda approaching him.

It appeared that went out of the box, just as Orlando City's goalkeeper Maxine Crepeau did at The Stadium on March 7, which resulted in a red card.

This time, however, St. Clair was not given any type of penalty, and as NYCFC Head Coach Pascal Jansen pointed out afterwards, "It's close, I don't know what the TV said, but VAR said it was inside (the box)...That's why it's in the game, and that's what we have to accept."

It remained a 3-2 game right until well into extra time. Fernandez Mercau took a corner kick on the right in the 94th minute, and the ball found its way to Aiden O'Neill, who headed it on net, and St. Clair was able to stop in the bottom left corner of the net, as he was clinging to the post and his body was behind the goalline, as he can do, while making the save. (pictured below)

The last big chance for NYCFC. Photo by Jason Schott.

It went off St. Clair, which gave NYCFC another corner kick from the opposite corner, this one taken by Moralez, and it was headed out by Inter Miami, and even though NYCFC kept it in, they couldn't get a shot off.

This was NYCFC's first loss of the season, as they are now 3-1-1, while Miami improved to 3-1-1. They are tied for second place in the MLS Eastern Conference, behind Naschville, which has a record of 4-1-0, with 13 points.

COACH'S COMMENTS: NYCFC Head Coach Pascal Jansen spoke on these topics in his postgame press conference:

On lessons from the match and moments that changed the game: "The start of the game was a little nervous from our side, which is not something we usually see. But coming back from a goal down that early (in the game) the way we did, and then gaining more control, especially in the second half, where we had more control of possession than we did in the first half, which is something we said to each other during the break. Also, coming back from a goal down and going up 2-1, that's a big statement in a game like this. But again, what do you define as a mistake: the second goal or the third goal? I told the players in the dressing room, if you give that player ten crosses like that and ask him to finish, if he gets one on target, you should be clapping your hands because it's a brilliant goal. You have to respect that. From our perspective, Kevin (O'Toole) is just a few yards too far inside, so he can't make the physical contact, which allows the player to decide whether to cross or go for goal, and unfortunately, he went for goal."

On Midfielder Nicolas Fernandez Mercau's performance and development as the team's number nine: "The game today speaks for itself. You play against one of the best teams in the league, the reigning champions, and from a dead-ball situation he brings us back into the game after a nervous first five or ten minutes. Then when Nico brings us back on the scoreboard, that's a real statement of his quality and personality. I see him every day in training, working ion these set pieces, so it doesn't surprise me. Throughout the game, he gives opponents a big headache with the spaces he finds and how he connects with Maxi. You saw that in the run of play leading to the second goal as well. The quality is there. He's making a real statement at the beginning of this season, and I hope he continues."