New York City Football Club booked our place in the Conference Semifinals of the 2022 MLS Cup Playoffs with an excellent 3-0 win over Inter Miami CF.
Here are Five Points from a special night at Citi Field...
A Superb Second Half
What a second half display: cool, confident and clinical, to claim a thoroughly deserved win.
As the teams headed into halftime, City could have been forgiven for letting their heads drop in fear that it simply wouldn't be our night, having seen the Miami woodwork rattled three times in the opening 45!
The remarkable passage of play in which Aimé Mabika somehow cleared Héber's clipped attempt off the line, crashing the ball off the crossbar, before Christopher McVey then sliced his clearance off the post, left those watching on scratching their heads in disbelief: 'What had just happened?!'
New York had dominated the goalmouth action, registering the biggest difference in shot attempts in a first half of a playoff game since 2011, but headed into the break level.
Yet, that frustration merely fueled more forceful firepower in the final third, and the home side came out all guns blazing in the second half, opening the scoring with a delightful Gabriel Pereira effort, before Maxi Moralez (more on that goal shortly!) and Héber ruthlessly sealed the tie.
It was an emphatic second half display. Miami simply could not find an answer.
NYCFC had dealt the killer blow and capitalized on the momentum - the mentality of Champions - providing further evidence that the Boys in Blue are finding our best form and unearthing that winning mentality at just the right time.
Teamwork
It was a goal that sparked jubilant scenes in all corners of the ground, and raised eyebrows across the soccer world - not only for its importance but for its delightful craftsmanship.
New York's second at Citi Field was a thing of beauty, a joy to behold, and the perfect example of the beautiful football this Club admire and advocate.
In total, City clocked 19 passes in the build-up to Moralez's brilliant effort, starting with goalkeeper Johnson, transitioning defense into attack and patiently moving the ball across the field, waiting for the ideal moment to press forward...
That moment arrived when Anton Tinnerholm spotted the influential Santiago Rodríguez's clever run, and the Uruguayan claimed his second assist of the game with the second back heel of that move, flicking into Moralez's path for the Midfielder to apply the perfect finish to a glorious offensive play.
It had Nick Cushing dancing in the dugout and the press purring! A composed, free-flowing move that portrayed our very best attacking qualities and effectively sealed the contest.
UndeNYable
As the action heats up and the stakes rise higher, it takes a true team effort to progress in the playoffs.
Every single person connected to the Club can play a part - the fans, the staff and of course, the players - and New York City stood together in solidarity for the cause in Queens.
Cushing and co. had called upon the City faithful to bring the energy and the noise to Citi Field and our loyal supporters did not disappoint with captain Sean Johnson hailing the raucous home crowd 'another teammate.'
"The fans are incredible, they really showed up," the skipper said. "We had another teammate behind us the entire time.
"They were incredible the entire night through the rain - conditions were less than ideal but it was perfect, a perfect night to cap off for them. It's amazing to do it at home in front of them."
From the off, the atmosphere was electric, spurring the team on and providing crucial encouragement in difficult moments - and the celebrations said it all.
The sheer joy on the faces of all in Bronx blue was clear for all to see when Pereira curled home our terrific opener, and those grins widened six minutes later when Moralez made it two - then again when Héber bagged the third in the final seconds.
After each goal, the team gathered in front of the fans to share the elation; players and staff from the bench came sprinting over in what was a real show of togetherness and ecstasy, highlighting just what it means to this Club, who have been through so much, as we chase another piece of silverware.
A Maxi Masterclass
One of the most key components in playoff success is experience – experience of winning, losing; managing the pressure, handling difficult moments and figuring out the best way to win.
At the heart of the NYCFC line-up was a man who possesses experience in bucketloads: 35-year-old Argentine Maxi Moralez.
The Midfielder produced a Player of the Match performance, pulling the strings in the center and grabbing the crucial second goal (the 100th of his career) to inspire the reigning Champions to the Conference Semifinals.
Speaking after the game, Head Coach Cushing was full of admiration Moralez, who he had recently deemed a ‘legend’ of the Club, highlighting the key attributes that stand him out from the rest.
“He’s a special player,” he said. “He has evolved his role this season within the team because he’s playing a little bit deeper because of the injuries we have.
“He started to play a little bit deeper, being solid defensively whilst also being that real Maxi Moralez that we see creating and scoring.
“You saw both sides – he played an incredible game. To me, it was a masterclass because he was in the positions he needed to be to give the team balance defensively but also at the same time, he played like a real high level #10 in creating.
“He scored the chance and I can’t say enough about him: his professionalism, his leadership, his talent, the effect he has on the team off and in the pitch…
“He is a real special guy and when we play games like we did, and put in performances like we did, he is a huge part of that.”
Handling Higuaín
Much of the pre-match talk had centered around the threat of Argentine Forward Gonzalo Higuain and the prospect of his final game in professional football with the news of his upcoming retirement.
With the Striker heading into the contest in fine goalscoring form with eight goals in his previous eight games, and desperate to end his stellar career on a high, he and his fans longed for a fairytale ending.
However, City were not swayed by the distraction of the subplot, fully focused on our own task at hand and our own desire for a spectacular end to the season, and our defense did superbly to handle the in-form frontman.
A first-half effort that was ruled out for offside came the closest Higuaín (and Miami) came to breaching the City backline, as Johnson proved impenetrable, keeping his 15th clean sheet of the season, and the defensive trio of Alex Callens, Thiago Martins and Tinnerholm held firm.
While the soccer world bid a fond farewell to a footballing legend (with Cushing also paying his respect to Higuaín in his post-match press conference), NYCFC were in no mood to bring the curtain down on our 2022 campaign.
