NYCFC halfway to CCL semis after beating Comunicaciones 3-1 in first leg
By Chris Tsakonas
New York City FC picked up right where they left off in the CONCACAF Champions League, defeating Guatemalan side Comunicaciones 3-1 in the first leg of the quarterfinals at Rentschler Field. The win puts NYCFC just a game away from making the Champions League semifinals for the first time in club history.
“I think we had better and better control of the game,” NYCFC manager Ronny Deila said. “We created a lot of chances in the end and we scored three.”
New York City thought they had the lead in the 18th minute, when Santi Rodriguez dribbled into the middle of the box before the ball fell to Talles Magno for a tap-in. The goal was disallowed after a VAR check found Magno was offside.
The goal finally came for New York City in the 29th minute. Rodriguez got the ball at the top right corner of the box, delivering a cross that was headed home by Castellanos to get NYCFC up 1-0. It was Castellanos’ third goal of the Champions League.
“Taty is a better player than he was last year,” Deila said. “We know that if we put balls inside the box, he will score goals, and today we had a great cross off the first header and he put it [in the net.”
NYCFC almost doubled their lead off a set piece in the 38th minute. A free kick from the right flank was played to the back post by Moralez. Alexander Callens nodded it down across the face of goal, and Magno’s effort was saved by goalkeeper Kevin Moscoso.
New York City had another great look in the 48th minute, when Castellanos got the ball at the top of the area and got off a shot that beat Moscoso and grazed the left post.
Comunicaciones almost equalized in the 54th minute. Off the counterattack, a cross filtered in from the right side and found Kevin Lopez, who just missed wide of the left post.
Another chance came in the 55th minute off a free kick from the right side, but the cross to Alexander Larin’s shot missed wide.
Comunicaciones found their equalizer in the 60th minute. A corner kick was delivered to the far right post, and was played back across the 6 yard box, where it was finished by Manuel Gamboa.
It didn’t stay tied for long, as NYCFC would go back in front in the 64th minute. Castellanos got the ball at the edge of the penalty area, lofting the ball for Moralez who volleyed it past Moscoso.
Six minutes later, New York City doubled their lead. Moralez took advantage of space on the left side of the box and played a ball across the box to Rodriguez, who finished it to give NYCFC a 3-1 lead.
Comunicaciones had one final chance to get a second away goal in stoppage time, with a cross from Kevin Lopez on the right flank finding Rodrigo Saravia, who hit the far left post on the shot.
The win gives NYCFC the upper hand heading into next week’s return leg in Guatemala, with the winner facing the winner of the Seattle Sounders - Club Leon series in the semifinals.
“Of course, it’s only halftime [in the series],” Deila said. “There’s still a job to do to get to the semifinal.”