Not the result we wanted but the performance of a certain Argentine playmaker was some cause for positivity.
The Boys in Blue surrendered a 2-1 lead in the dying embers of Wednesday night’s 2nd vs. 3rd matchup with Toronto FC, conceding a penalty in the 89th minute.
Before that, it appeared as though a Maxi Moralez-inspired NYCFC had done enough to clinch a fourth consecutive comeback win in the Bronx.
The 30-year old was at the heart of everything good about his team over the course of his 85 minutes on the field, linking together many of his team’s most incisive attacking moves.
Moralez had been missing from the starting XI ever since the Open Cup defeat to Red Bulls in the middle of June but he showed no rustiness whatsoever in his first full outing in more than a month.
Key Moment
Maxi was influential throughout but his third MLS goal was undoubtedly the moment that the fans will remember for some time to come.
His combination play with David Villa has been one of the biggest features of NYC’s attacking play in 2017 and the pair wreaked havoc on several occasions throughout the 90’, including the move for the go ahead goal.
Exchanging passes and flicks which spliced open the Toronto FC defense, eventually the path cleared for Maxi to strike for goal and a deflection saw the ball loop over Alex Bono and into the net.
It was a passing masterclass from two players who seem perfectly attuned to each other’s games and capable of unpicking even the most stoic of defenses.
That Villa-Moralez combo. 2-1. #NYCvTORhttps://t.co/6uWhzrERgS
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) July 20, 2017
In Maxi’s Words…
“I don’t think we deserved a tie. We did a lot more than them. We didn’t show the soccer we had been playing but we were superior to our rival. They were missing big players and when it came time to getting the result we just couldn’t do it.”
The Fans Said…
In Numbers…
