New York City FC recorded a big victory against FC Cincinnati on Wednesday night.
Mitja Ilenič, Alonso Martínez, and Santiago Rodríguez all found the net to help City record a 3-2 win.
Here are Five Points from the game...
Mitja Scores!
For the third game in a row, New York City FC had a player score their first goal for the Club.
Mitja Ilenič joined James Sands and Tayvon Gray in breaking the seal on his City goal return, with the Slovenian defender doing so in style.
His long-range drive flew past Roman Celentano in the 16th minute to give City the lead and it was clear to see from Ilenič’s reaction how much it meant to him.
“I just went crazy,” he said afterward. “It’s been a while since I scored. It was nice to get this feeling back again. It’s even sweeter with a win, we need to build on this.”
A memorable moment that kickstarted a big night for City, it was a moment to remember for our young defender – čestitke Mitja!
Quickfire
Three goals in ten second-half minutes saw City go from 2-0 up to 2-1 and then 3-1.
Alonso Martínez’s wonderful strike started things in the 65th minute before penalties from Lucho Acosta and Santiago Rodríguez halved then re-established City’s advantage.
That chaotic ten-minute spell shared similarities with Saturday’s game against the Red Bulls where City conceded in the 28th minute before Andrés Perea’s header put them up 3-1. Nick Cushing’s side showed an impressive ability to bounce back from conceding and that could prove a vital skill heading into the playoffs.
Goals change games, and being able to flip the momentum of a contest like that is important when it comes to reestablishing control – the fact they did it twice in two games will no doubt also boost their confidence levels.
Momentum
“Momentum is everything going into the playoffs,” Nick Cushing said last night.
City knows all too well what a good run can do for a team right before the postseason. In 2021, Gudi Thorarinsson’s freekick against Atlanta United snapped a run of bad form and set City on course to claim their first piece of silverware.
The Boys in Blue have two more games before they begin their post-season adventure and claiming big wins against fellow playoff teams in the Eastern Conference will only help them in their bid for a second MLS Cup. Recording back-to-back wins now is a huge plus, and sets them up for a good run at a pivotal moment during the season.
Swift Attack
There were many pleasing elements about City’s performance on Wednesday night against FC Cincinnati.
The team looked good in possession and in Alonso Martínez’s second-half goal they showed their ability to produce rapid counterattacks when given the opportunity. That skill is enough to put fear in the rest of the league as it shows how City can turn a game on its head in a matter of seconds.
City will need that skill heading into the postseason with some tricky road trips likely on the horizon. The fact that they were able to score this type of goal against a team like Cincinnati also reinforces the idea that they can produce against the best teams in the Eastern Conference.
Double Figures
Santiago Rodríguez’s return to the team brought with it a goal and an assist for the forward.
His assist came first and came through a rapid counter-attack finished off by Alonso Martínez. Rodríguez’s driving run and well-timed pass fed Martínez, with his inch-perfect finish putting City 2-0 up.
Ten minutes later, City had a penalty and Rodríguez stepped up to take it. An assured finish put City 3-1 up and also saw Rodríguez hit a landmark of 10 league goals in a single season.
Rodríguez had hit that mark in his career to date, let alone with City, and it highlights his development and growth as a player as well as his importance to the team.
