New York City Football Club Goals: Morales 32’, Callens 36’, Talles Magno 80’, 85’
Santos de Guápiles Goals:
Quick Read
New York City Football Club were looking for a strong second-leg performance on Wednesday afternoon as they took on Santos de Guápiles in the Concacaf Champions League. Already 2-0 up from the first leg in Costa Rica, NYCFC extended that advantage in the 32nd minute via an Alfredo Morales header. The first of two set-piece goals, Maxime Chanot would double the score minutes later with a low effort past the goalkeeper. The second half would see two further goals for NYCFC as Talles Magno scored a brace with strikes in the 80th and 86th minute. That would hand NYCFC a 4-0 win on the night and a 6-0 victory on aggregate as they advanced to the next round.
Match Recap
New York City Football Club were aiming to book their place in the next round of the Concacaf Champions League on Wednesday as they took on Santos de Guápiles.
Head Coach Ronny Deila made two changes to the starting XI that secured a 2-0 victory on the road last week, introducing Thiago Andrade and Alfredo Morales for Santiago Rodríguez and Gedion Zelalem.
NYCFC would engineer the first major chance of the game inside three minutes when an overload down the right allowed Thiago to pull the ball back for Taty Castellanos – his effort unable to trouble the goalkeeper.
The Boys in Blue would use that look at goal as a platform to control possession in the early stages of the game and engineer several half chances.
In the 17th minute a set piece for NYCFC saw Maxime Chanot head the ball back across goal towards Morales. Unfortunately, he could not keep his attempt under the bar.
NYCFC continued to press forward and on the half-hour mark Castellanos unleashed a ferocious drive from distance that was well saved by Kevin Ruíz.
The game’s opening goal would arrive from the resulting corner after Morales powered home a header at the near post for his first goal with the Club.
Set pieces were proving a dangerous avenue for the Boys in Blue, and their second goal of the evening would arrive from that same avenue just minutes later.
This time it was Maxime Chanot adding his name to the scoresheet after he pounced a loose ball in the box to fire low past Ruíz in goal.
The arrival of the second half brought with it a change for NYCFC as Alex Callens departed the field in place of Vuk Latinovich.
Santos registered their first major chance of the afternoon in the 52nd minute after an interception and fast breakaway saw them eventually fired an effort against Sean Johnson’s post.
In response, a well-worked team move involving Talles Magno, Castellanos, and Moralez saw the veteran playmaker shoot just wide.
That would prove to be Moralez’s last major contribution. He would depart the field in the 57th minute alongside Morales and Tayvon Gray as part of a triple substitution that saw Andres Jasson, Héber, and Keaton Parks enter the field.
It would be Héber that would register the next chance of note for NYCFC after a Malte Amundsen cross found his head, but his attempt did not hit the target.
Deila’s final change of the evening would allow Amundsen to depart the game in the 73rd minute in place of Chris Gloster.
There would be a third goal in the 80th minute and it would arrive for Héber’s compatriot Talles Magno after good work down the left by fellow Brazilian Thiago.
The teenager had been a thorn in the side of Santos all evening and another dangerous run into the six-yard box allowed him to bundle the ball home from close range.
Santos would be reduced to ten men in the 83rd minute after substitute Alvin Bennett stamped on Castellanos following a coming together on the ball.
The 2021 MLS Golden Boot winner would dust himself down to take the resulting freekick and was only denied a goal by the left-hand post.
NYCFC would still find time to add a fourth goal of the evening in the 86th minute after a turnover in the final third fell to Talles Magno and he fired a shot under the despairing Ruíz.
That would prove to be the last goal of the evening as NYCFC ran out 4-0 winners on the night and 6-0 victors on aggregate to secure their place in the next phase of the Concacaf Champions League.
Player Of The Match
How We Lined Up
What's Next
Next up for New York City FC is 2022 MLS Season Opener against LA Galaxy on Sunday, February 27, 2022 at Dignity Health Sports Park. Kickoff is scheduled for 5:00PM EST (ESPN/NYCFC.com/Radio).
