New York City FC secured a home tie in the First Round of the MLS Cup Playoffs presented by Audi.
Here are Five Points from a big afternoon in the Bronx.
Golden Boy
As his teammates stood around him in celebration the tears flowed for Taty Castellanos.
The award of his Golden Boot had not quite been confirmed, but it was hard to see anyone surpassing the 23-year-old in 2021. The team’s leading goal scorer this season, Castellanos success is about so much more than putting the ball in the back of the net. It was his selflessness and creativity that ultimately helped him win the award – beating Ola Kamara via the assist tiebreaker.
That small detail says so much about the player Castellanos is, and the person his teammates have come to admire. A dedicated and hard-working professional, his relentless pursuit of betterment is seen every time he steps on the training field. On Sunday, his 19th goal also spoke to his persistence. After not getting a foul call for what he believed to be a shove from a defender, he got straight back up and rose high into the air to power home a header and draw NYCFC level.
The native of Mendoza, Argentina, won’t be content with just personal accolades this season, and that means he’ll be a man on a mission come the playoffs.
This City Don’t Quit
To go down a man with an hour still on the clock is a difficult position for any team at any time.
Instead of folding inwards, NYCFC got to half-time reorganized, regrouped, and attacked the second half with a vim and vigor that embodied what this city is about. They earned a deserved equalizer through Taty Castellanos, and can feel unlucky not to have added a second goal through Jesús Medina.
In many ways the performance represented progress for this group. Ronny Deila has challenged the team to maintain their discipline, and while they may have struggled in previous outings when down a man, this time they rose to the challenge and showed they can cause any team in this league problems on their day – even down a man.
Home Advantage
While NYCFC had already secured a postseason spot, the prize on offer for a favorable result against Philadelphia was a home tie in the First Round of the MLS Cup Playoffs.
That was secured thanks to the point against Philadelphia and means we will welcome Atlanta United to Yankee Stadium later this month. That home advantage is a major boost for the team, especially given the team’s record at Yankee Stadium – six losses in 70 games.
It wasn’t easy, but the team got the job done.
Teamwork
In soccer, the importance of teamwork should never be lost, and when the opposition have a man advantage that need to harmonize only improves.
If we needed any evidence of how hard this group works, and more importantly, works for each other then Sunday was that case study. Philadelphia are a talented team with a number of tricky attackers, but from back to front, NYCFC were able to come together and push together towards a result.
The Hard Work Begins
While qualifying for the postseason was an important goal in 2021 it was not the only one.
This team is aspiring to win MLS Cup, and this is where the hard work truly begins. The team will be tested in new ways during the playoffs, but it’s important that they step up and attempt to repeat the levels reached earlier in the season. The opportunity to start at home is a big plus, and it’s important that the players, staff, and fans come together for a big push.
