NYCFC improve playoff position after 2-0 win over Orlando City SC
Courtesy: NYCFC
By Chris Tsakonas
New York City FC earned an important three points in the Eastern Conference playoff race with a 2-0 win over Orlando City SC at Citi Field. Monsef Bakrar got the game-winning goal for NYCFC in the 35th minute, and Talles Magno doubled the lead off the bench in the 68th minute.
“I’ve said it all along - and I’ve said it after the wins - this team has fight in it, and it really believes and it has a real desire,” head coach Nick Cushing said.
New York City would get the first look at goal in the fourth minute, when Richy Ledezma set up a shot from Andres Perea in the area that was saved by Orlando City goalkeeper Pedro Gallese.
Orlando City got its first shot on goal in the 11th minute, when Ivan Angulo took a shot from the left edge of the area that was easily saved by NYCFC goalkeeper Matt Freese.
New York City earned a penalty in the 35th minute after Santi Rodriguez got his legs tangled with Ramiro Enrique. The penalty wasn’t initially given, but the call was reversed after a brief VAR review.
Rodriguez’s initial penalty was saved, but Bakrar was able to finish by heading home the rebound from Gallese. It was Bakrar’s third goal of the season, and it gave NYCFC the lead.
NYCFC nearly doubled the lead in the 51st minute, when a low shot from Bakrar forced Gallese into a diving fingertip save. The ensuing corner found Perea for a point-blank header, but Gallese made another stop to keep it at 1-0.
New York City suffered an injury setback in the 58th minute, when Ledezma had to be taken off the field. After the match, Cushing said that Ledezma appears to have a slight ankle sprain and will undergo a scan, but it isn’t expected to be a severe injury.
Magno entered the match to replace Ledezma - and it didn’t take long for him to make his impact. In the 68th minute, Magno got his head on the end of the service from Andres Jasson and finished in the top left corner to double the lead for New York City.
“I’m so happy for Talles. I’m so happy, because he deserves the moment, and he deserves to be the guy that gets us over the line - he won us the game tonight because the second goal really settled it down,” Cushing said.
With the win, New York City are now 10th in the East with 34 points, trailing DC United by two points for the final playoff spot. NYCFC has four matches left in the regular season - starting with a match against Toronto FC at Red Bull Arena on Saturday night.