New York City FC advance to Leagues Cup quarterfinals with 2-1 win over Tigres
Courtesy; New York City FC
By Chris Tsakonas
HARRISON, N.J. - New York City FC are off to the Leagues Cup quarterfinals after defeating Tigres 2-1 in the Round of 16 at Red Bull Arena tonight. ‘
After conceding the opener to Guido Pizarro in the 18th minute, New York City equalized with a goal from Maxi Moralez in the 20th minute. Moralez then provided the give-and-go assist to set up Santi Rodriguez for the match-winner in the 65th minute.
Pressure leads to equalizer for New York City
New York City’s quick equalizer was made possible by effective pressure in the final third, as Moralez started the play by dispossessing the ball 25 yards from goal before finishing from the right side of the box. The goal erased Tigres’ early 1-0 lead within two minutes - and it was Moralez’s first goal in a New York City shirt since the 2022 MLS Cup Playoffs.
The pressure also played a part in generating some other scoring opportunities for New York City, with Santi Rodriguez getting another shot off of a quick turnover in the 26th minute.
Moralez at center of go-ahead goal
In addition to scoring the equalizer for New York City, Moralez also played a key part in setting up Rodriguez’s go-ahead strike in the 65th minute. After receiving the ball from Rodriguez inside the penalty area, Moralez played a one-time pass back to him to create the space needed for the ultimate game-winning goal.
“I think for guys like Santi Rodriguez and Maxi Moralez, when the lights come on, that really gets them going, right? You have to be a special kind of player to really relish and thrive in these moments,” New York City FC head coach Nick Cushing said after the match.
This was the first time Moralez has finished with two goal contributions since he recorded three assists in a 4-4 road draw against FC Cincinnati on June 29, 2022.
New York City break 90-minute winless streak
Tonight’s victory is also New York City’s first regulation win in seven matches - with the group stage win over Queretaro and Round of 32 win over the New England Revolution both coming from penalty kick shootouts. Before tonight, New York City’s last win was a 2-0 victory against CF Montreal at Yankee Stadium on July 3.
“Tonight we've had to be hungry to want to advance, because we played a top team [in Tigres] - one of the best teams in the history of Liga MX, one of the favorites for the competition and [I'm] just really pleased that tonight we went about it the right way, and we put in a complete performance.”
Now, the focus shifts to Saturday when New York City will take on the Columbus Crew at Lower.com Field. The Crew are coming off of a 3-2 comeback win against Inter Miami earlier tonight, with all three goals coming in the final 22 minutes of the match.
“I think they're the best team in MLS,” Cushing said about the Crew. “I think they're the best in low build up. I think they they control the ball the best. They have a front three that are really devastating - but for us, it's about a journey. We want to be one of the best teams in MLS. We want to be a team that can go and play against the best and dominate the ball.”
Next Up
New York City now have three days to prepare for the Leagues Cup quarterfinal against the Crew on Saturday. The kickoff time for that match is to be determined, with pregame coverage getting under way 15 minutes before kickoff with Glenn Crooks and Matty Lawrence at newyorkcityfc.com/radio.