NYCFC Fit To Be Tied As They're Stunned At Stadium

 

The scene after NYCFC took a 3-1 lead in the second half. Photo by Jason Schott.

New York City Football Club appeared on their way to a win on Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium, but FC Cincinnati came back in the final minutes to walk out with a 4-4 draw.

This brings NYCFC's winless streak to five in MLS matches, with three losses and two draws. 

NYCFC is now 3-3-3, with 12 points, in seventh place in the MLS Eastern Conference. Their last MLS win was on March 14, over Colorado, 3-1, at Yankee Stadium. They did win a US Open Cup match against USL club Westchester SC, 5-2, on April 14.

In the early going of this one, NYCFC dominated play, with numerous top chances, but not able to get it in the net, echoing how it went Saturday night at Citi Field in their 2-1 loss against Charlotte.

That changed in the 20th minute, when they controlled play on the left side, even with Cincinnati players deflecting it repeatedly. Hannes Wolf worked particularly hard to keep it in, and eventually it got to Aiden O'Neill, who fired one on net, which Roman Calentano caught, but could not hold onto.

Nicolas Fernandez Mercau was Johnny on the spot, as he fired it in to make it 1-0 NYCFC.

Nicolas Fernandez Mercau raced to the corner to celebrate his goal. Photo by Jason Schott.

Cincinnati looked to respond, and they took it down the right side in the 32nd minute. Ender Echenique fired one towards the box, where Kevin Denkey was coming down the center of it, and he stuck out his left leg to send it home and tie the game at 1. The way Echenique connected was evocative of the sport that usually is played at Yankee Stadium.

Incredibly, just three minutes later, NYCFC kept Cincinnati out of their zone, and they rapidly advanced the ball, with Tayvon Gray sending it to Maxi Moralez, who sent it to a streaking Fernandez Mercau, who burst in alone, and fired off a low shot that got over Celentano to make it 2-1 NYCFC.

This was the second brace of the season for Fernandez Mercau, with the other one also at Yankee Stadium, in the win over Colorado on March 14.

Fernandez Mercau now eight goals this season, notched in his last nine matches. That is the most on NYCFC, and second in the MLS.

It remained 2-1 into the second half, but it wouldn't be long before they would add to their lead.

In the 53rd minute, Aiden O'Neill fired a pass from NYCFC's zone ahead to Agustin Ojeda, who was coming down the right side, and he blew by the Cincinnati defense to send a low shot by Celentano, much like Fernandez Mercau's second one, and make it 3-1. 

Cincinnati responded in the 64th minute. Evander took a free kick on the left side, and he sent it towards the "wall" set up towards the net. Gerardo Valenzuela knocked it down with the side of his body, and it got to Denkey, who buried it to make it 3-2.

That gave Denkey a brace for the night to match Fernandez Mercau.

In the 79th minute, NYCFC was camped out in Cincinnati territory when Aiden O'Neill sent pass from the center of the field to Agustin Ojeda on the left side, and he flicked it nearby to Talles Magno, who lofted a beautiful shot just inside the right post to make it 4-2 NYCFC.

This was Magno's second goal of the MLS Regular season, the first time he has hit this number since the four he had in 2023. He has five goals across all competitions, as he had a hat trick against Westchester in the US Open Cup on April 14.

This was Ojeda's second assist of the MLS regular season, after he had his third goal of the season earlier in the match.

It remained 4-2 NYCFC until extra time, which would be seven minutes.

Cincinnati had a sideline throw-in at 90:58, which was taken by Pavel Bucha, who found Venezuela close by, and he gave it back to Bucha, who sent a pass back upfield to Andrei Chirila, who fired a rocket by NYCFC goalkeeper Matt Freese to pull them within one, at 3-2, in the 92nd minute.

Then, not too long after, at 92:34, Cincinnati was back at it again, and Evander, who drove along the right side, was taken down in the box by O'Toole.

That resulted in a penalty kick for Cincinnati, which Evander took. Freese was quick to go to his right, which left the net open, and Evander flicked it softly into the center of the net to tie the game at 4 in the 95th minute.

NYCFC had one last push to try to get the winner. Arnaud Farnos took a corner kick in the 97th minute, and he sent it on net, where Celentano punched it out.

It went to Jonny Shore, who kept it in, and after a give-and-go with Strahinja Tanasijevic, eventually got it to O'Toole, who lofted a pass into the box, where Raul Gustavo headed it towards the left side of the net, but it was just wide.

NYCFC Head Coach Pascal Jansen said of what went down in extra time, "In terms of the last 15 minutes or so, we lost control and possession. We were losing too many easy passes trying to keep a rhythm that stays in your advantage to see the game out. Then on the throw-in where we conceded the third goal, we were completely out of shape in that moment. We were not structured well enough. It took too long and was too casual, and you get punished. Unfortunately we conceded a penalty. It's basically what happened in the last 15 minutes or so, which I'm very unsatisfied with."