New York City Football Club earned a place in the 2022 Eastern Conference Final with an excellent 3-1 victory at CF Montréal.
Here are Five Points from a special win at Stade Saputo...
Magic In Montréal
As away performances go, this one was near-perfect.
Games on the road always pose a different and difficult challenge, as a team has to negotiate travel, unfamiliar surroundings, a boisterous home crowd and likely, plenty of on-pitch pressure, especially against a side that had finished the season so strongly.
City managed this encounter superbly, starting off on the front foot, weathering the Montréal storm and striking the vital blows at he ideal time to effectively kill any hopes of a home comeback.
While matches of such magnitude can affect decision-making and allow emotion to override logic, City played the game and not the occasion, keeping clear heads on all corners of the pitch, working as one solid unit to see the win through.
It was an emphatic victory, but the Boys in Blue will not have been satisfied. Though Đorđe Mihailović's late effort came too late to influence the result of the contest, the consolation will have frustrated Nick Cushing and co., given how well we had defended, with the squad constantly striving for perfection - a true mark of Champions.
Lightning Start
Previewing the game on Friday, Interim Head Coach Cushing spoke of the importance of intensity in City's bid for back-to-back playoff success.
Riding the crest of the wave on the back of five consecutive wins, the Boys in Blue headed into the clash full of confidence and belief, having shown glimpses of their very best in recent weeks at both ends of the pitch.
Starting this game on the front foot was key and the visitors came flying out of the blocks, issuing early statements of intent by laying immediate siege to the Montréal goal.
The deadlock was broken with just six minutes played with yet another well-crafted goal. The influential Santiago Rodríguez and Gabriel Pereira combined well, before the Brazilian clipped the ball into the danger zone where once again, Maxi Moralez was in the right place at the right time to smash home.
The goal stunned the home crowd into silence, while our incredible traveling fans, players and staff were jubilant. City were immediately on the front foot - that positive feeling working wonders to further motivate, inspire confidence and settle any nerves. We had gained a precious lead... the job then was to protect it.
Two Citys
Scoring a treble away from home is no easy feat, and our three terrific strikes at Stade Saputo were as scintillating as they were significant.
Each goal was the result of a beautifully-worked move, showcasing the players' ever-increasing confidence, togetherness and ability, as defense transitioned into attack with a single pass. Then, when it came to the crucial moment, the quality shone through: composure, patience and intelligence in the final third to pick the perfect pass and coolly convert.
Those traits were equally evident at the other end of the pitch, as the MLS Cup Champions portrayed real courage, resilience and strength to hold firm when under pressure. As the hosts dominated in search of a route back into the game, players were putting their bodies on the line for the cause, while captain Sean Johnson produced two sensational saves to preserve our slender lead - stops Cushing described as 'world-class.'
The victory was made all the more impressive given the challenging circumstances of losing Defender Maxime Chanot to injury early on, before Moralez was substituted at the break and Talles Magno was forced off in the final moments, reducing the visitors to ten with Montréal chasing a comeback.
Yet, those players still played a key part (Chanot was active on the sidelines encouraging his teammates), while the players who were brought on (special mention to Justin Haak for his assured display at the heart of defense) further solidified the backline with Cushing switching to a back five in the second period to sure things up.
ANYwhere, aNYtime
There was immense pride within the Club in midweek with the news our away supporter allocation for the clash at Montréal had sold out within minutes.
No matter the distance, no matter the day, the City faithful turn out in impressive numbers to show their love for our Boys in Blue.
Their efforts have not gone unnoticed - Cushing and the players have spoken openly of their importance in recent weeks, especially during this crunch period of the playoff push.
That support - in good moments and in tough moments - cannot be underestimated. As Anton Tinnerholm said before the game, it gives the players an extra 10%, driving them on and motivating them to produce their best for the fans who sacrifice so much to play their own part.
The 200 that made the trip and those who turned out for the Watch Party certainly enjoyed an afternoon to remember. May there be many more of those unforgettable moments to come!
Onto Philly
And so, our reward for our triumph in Montréal: an Eastern Conference Final visit to Philadelphia Union.
There will be plenty of intrigue to this encounter with the bizarre twist of fate that sees the 2021 Finalists lock horns once again in Chester, and we all know how last year's meeting panned out...
It was a day that will live long in the memory for NYCFC, as the Boys in Blue produced a valiant fightback to snatch victory in the final moments, en route to lifting our first MLS Cup.
As we chase our second star, we return to a familiar setting with last season's Eastern Conference Final seeing NYCFC take on the Union. A repeat of that result would be welcomed by all in Bronx Blue.
