Gabe Segal delivers late again to salvage NYCFC point in 1-1 draw with Columbus
Courtesy: NYCFC
By Eddie Kalegi
Boy, did they need that one. Gabe Segal was the hero for the second time in five weeks as New York City FC rallied in stoppage time to secure a 1-1 draw with the Columbus Crew. The winless streak continued however, now reaching nine matches, the second longest in club history.
Both clubs rolled out short-handed lineups due to ongoing international competition, with Maxime Chanot absent for City and the Crew playing without leading scorer Lucas Zelarayán.
Head coach Nick Cushing made some positional adjustments as well, hoping to spark an offense that had found the back of the net just three times in its last six contests, notably shifting Talles Magno to starting striker. Defensively, New York City needed a strong showing, facing a Columbus squad that was winners of three straight and entered play tied atop the league in goals scored.
Some solid backplay from both sides kept the game shotless for the first six minutes, with Alexandru Matan misfiring from the center of the box for Columbus on the match’s first true scoring opportunity. Six minutes later, Cucho Hernandez delivered the first shot on target, a roller which was saved easily by Luis Barraza.
Talles Magno had his first chance as striker for New York City in the 17th minute, but was called offside as he sent a header towards the net off a through ball from Gabriel Pereira.
City, who entered play scoring just three times in their last six matches, saw their offensive woes continue, failing to muster a single shot until Pereira had an attempt from outside the box blocked by a Columbus defender in the 23rd minute.
Following yet another offside to stifle a scoring chance, City began to string together attacks, with their best chance of the first half coming in the 40th minute, as Braian Cufre connected with Talles Magno, who was all alone and appeared to have Columbus keeper Patrick Schulte beat but squibbed the ball wide right. The opening frame would conclude in a scoreless tie, with each team dispatching just a single shot on goal.
Magno had another window to score after Columbus botched the second half kickoff, but it was simply a routine save for Schulte, his second of the afternoon.
These squandered opportunities kept piling up and eventually proved costly. In the 48th minute, a perfectly executed throw-in allowed Alexandru Matan to connect with Californian veteran striker Christian Ramirez, who beat Barraza and found the back of the net to give Columbus the lead, his sixth tally of the 2023 campaign.
Nick Cushing looked to expand the attack after falling behind, subbing Richy Ledezma in for defensive midfielder Alfredo Morales.
City had a great try at leveling in the 66th minute, as Talles Magno sent a swift header in the box to Braian Cufre, whose shot from a very difficult left angle was easily gathered by Schulte.
Magno’s tough day at striker came to an end seven minutes later, as Nick Cushing opted to replace him with Gabe Segal for the rest of the match. Tayvon Gray simultaneously replaced Tony Alfaro defensively, and almost immediately blocked a one-time shot that could have doubled the Columbus lead. Offensively, New York City FC launched an attack that nearly tied things up, but Gabriel Pereira’s crossing pass just sailed over the head of the recently inserted Segal.
Referees awarded six minutes of stoppage time, which was exactly what City needed. A takeaway and smooth transition in the 94th minute provided a golden opportunity for Gabe Segal, who came up clutch yet again, drilling the unassisted equalizer past Schulte for his second goal of the season. Time would expire and New York City FC walked away with a point in front of the home supporters at Yankee Stadium, vaulting to a three-way tie for eleventh place in the Eastern Conference.
The club still has not won since April 22nd, but a stoppage time rally to even the score with an offensive stalwart in Columbus is absolutely a moral victory.
The road will not get any easier for City, as they commence a three-match road trip Wednesday against Atlanta United, another side with a seemingly unstoppable attack. Their next home contest isn’t until July 5th, when they host Charlotte FC.
New York City FC still has many questions to address going forwards, especially when it comes to finding a consistent striker, but one thing is for sure: NYCFC has one man they can absolutely count on in the clutch; his name is Gabe Segal.