NYCFC has serious designs on extending their reign as MLS’s top dog for another season.
The defending champions went to Quebec and dismantled CF Montréal 3-1 on Sunday afternoon. Maxi Moralez, Héber, and Talles Magno all scored as the 2021 MLS Cup winners combined mastery in transition moments with some excellent goalkeeping from Sean Johnson (at least, in the first half) to advance to the Eastern Conference final.
Throughout 2022 Montréal earned a reputation as the experts at drawing teams towards over-committing before catching them out. In their biggest game of the year though, NYCFC taught them a lesson, time and again manufacturing transition moments by forcing turnovers just as Montréal committed too many men forward.
Nick Cushing altered his side’s preferred 4-2-3-1 formation, bringing an extra center back in, but that didn’t hamper their razor-sharp attack. An energetic start resulted in an early goal for NYCFC, with Moralez calmly depositing the ball into an empty net after Gabriel Pereira and Santiago Rodríguez had done most of the heavy lifting.
From that moment through to the last seconds of the half, it was all Montréal. Sean Johnson produced two jaw-dropping saves, Kei Kamara hit the post, referee Drew Fischer turned down a penalty shout from Djordje Mihailovic, and the home side would also have a goal on a clever set piece called back for offside. NYCFC would enter the locker room with more yellow cards (three) than shot attempts (two).
That second shot ended up being critical though, as a jailbreak counter saw NYCFC take a 2-0 lead. Montréal’s fast recovery appeared to have ended the danger, but Rodríguez played a marvelous ball to Héber, whose run went completely undetected. The pass was so good that all the Brazilian veteran had to do was casually tuck the ball past James Pantemis, stunning Stade Saputo.
Wilfried Nancy brought Rommel Quioto on to push for a comeback, but another incisive NYCFC counter ended with Pantemis tripping Pereira in the box. Fischer awarded the obvious penalty, and Talles Magno — with virtually his first touch after coming on — finished it off from the spot.
Montréal would at least salvage some pride with a late goal from Mihailovic — a routine header that Johnson was inexplicably unable to fend off — and gave NYCFC some worries in the final minutes, but ultimately the cutting edge shown by New York City made them worthy winners.
NYCFC will head south on I-95 to take on the Philadelphia Union in a rematch of last year’s conference final, which is set for October 30.
Watch the goals that sent NYCFC past Montréal
🗣️ MAXI MORALEZ
His second goal of the postseason opens the scoring in Montreal for #NYCFC#MTLvNYC // Audi #MLSCupPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/bUFY4d1vHB
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) October 23, 2022
What a ball from Santiago Rodriguez to Heber! #NYCFC takes a 2-0 lead.#MTLvNYC // Audi #MLSCupPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/bh7TgOvRJw
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) October 23, 2022
.@talles_magno2 makes it 3-0 for #NYCFC#MTLvNYC // Audi #MLSCupPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/MiiRKcBBnA
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) October 23, 2022
Djordje Mihailovic scores for the third-straight game and @cfmontreal pulls one back.#MTLvNYC // Audi #MLSCupPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/Qenp1YjlNn
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) October 23, 2022
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