NYCFC keep Leagues Cup alive with dominant 5-0 win over Toronto FC
Courtesy: NYCFC
By Chris Tsakonas
New York City FC have kept its Leagues Cup hopes alive with a 5-0 win over Toronto FC at Red Bull Arena. Santi Rodriguez scored a brace in the match, and Monsef Bakrar, Andres Jasson and Maxime Chanot all scored one goal in the win.
“There will be many positives today, and there will be many negatives, let's not get blinded by the score,” head coach Nick Cushing said after the match. “It's just about staying on the road, staying on the journey and enjoying it.”
Bakrar made his first start for NYCFC tonight, and he got the first shot on goal in the fifth minute after getting on the end of a through ball from Richy Ledezma and forcing former NYCFC keeper Sean Johnson into his first save.
In the ninth minute, Bakrar laid off a ball in the box for Jasson - only for Jasson to overhit the ball well over the crossbar.
After an opening 10 minutes in which NYCFC had the only two shots and 67 percent of the possession, Toronto FC began to create chances on the other end. In the 13th minute, Raoul Petretta whipped in a dangerous cross for Kobe Franklin - but he missed the goal entirely.
Less than a minute later, Matt Freese was forced into his first save of the match when Jordan Peruzza got his head on the end of a cross from Alonso Coello. It was an easy near post stop for Freese, and the match still remained scoreless.
New York City broke the deadlock in the 30th minute. Rodriguez delivered a corner kick to the back post, and Chanot headed it home from the edge of the six yard box.
After Chanot broke the deadlock, the floodgates opened for NYCFC. In the 45th minute, Bakrar finished off a counter attack to make it 2-0 and get his first goal since signing with the club.
“I thought overall performance was really good for a guy who has trained two days with the team,” Cushing said. “I'm really enthused by his energy, his aggression, his desire to score goals. He's fitting into the team like a guy that has been here for 10 years.”
Rodriguez quickly added to the tally a minute later, with a long effort taking a deflection and beating Sean Johnson to make it 3-0 heading into the halftime break.
Coming out of the halftime break, New York City continued to add to the total. In the 56th minute, Jasson added to the scoreline to make it a 4-0 City lead.
Rodriguez made it 5-0 in the 75th minute, beating Sean Johnson from the edge of the six-yard box.
With the win, New York City is in a good position to advance to the knockout stage of the Leagues Cup. With the head-to-head nullified in the event of a three-way tie, Toronto FC would have to win 9-0 to overcome NYCFC’s +4 goal differential.