BRONX, NY — Another brace in the Bronx for NYCFC forward Nicolás Fernàndez was not enough for the win Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium. It seemed like NYCFC was headed to a clear MLS Eastern Conference regular season victory.
But stoppage goals and extended time in the MLS were the nemesis. With Cincinnati FC who managed a 4-4 draw, securing a point, one point was a disappointing outcome for the home team, not getting the win.
Regardless, this was frustrating and on a cold night, the feel of a clean victory certainly vanquished and fast. It’s hard to explain a draw after that second brace for Fernández, his eighth goal of the season and reminders of Valentín Castellanos, NYCFC’s goal leader in 2021, which earned him the MLS Golden Boot in the club’s championship year.
Basically get the ball to Fernández. He scores consistently and NYCFC has enough breathing room, except Cincinnati was relentless on the pitch and made that seven minute stoppage time comeback with the equalizer off a penalty kick.The last time NYCFC drew at Yankee Stadium in the MLS regular season was on September 21, 2024, against Inter Miami CF (1-1).
“Unfortunately we conceded a penalty,” said NYCFC coach Pascal Jansen, “It’s basically what happened in the last 15 minutes or so, which I’m very unsatisfied with. You control the game, you have enough opportunities to build a strong lead, even today to create a stronger lead. Like I said, when you see what happens in the last 15 minutes, that is simply not possible in how we approach our game. Last season we were one of the most solid teams out of possession”
Nicolás Fernández recorded two goals in the first half of Wednesday night’s match vs. Cincinnati FC – Image Credit: New York City Football Club
He said that last year was a team that was difficult to beat in stoppage time or closure of the second half because conceding goals was hardly an issue. But this is a different team, many still adjusting as the season progresses and Jansen had a different tone as to why.
“Today, you create this anxiety yourself,” he said. “The first one came out of nowhere (Kevin) Denkey, their DP (Designated Player), he knows what to do with that kind of space and the quality of the cross he got. That was in the category I mentioned earlier, it’s simply not possible, especially for a team with our qualities.”
Jansen said his team is capable of dealing with those situations and the second goal came from a set piece. The third goal, a late corner situation. It happened last week against Vancouver just before halftime, also a set piece.
For a soccer novice, the set piece is scored from the corner, free kicks, penalties, or throw-ins before open play. Those have accounted for goals against NYCFC in their first 11 matches. Jansen said they will adjust and find a way to prevent similar situations as they progress in all important conference play matches.
Simple, NYCFC can’t concede these goals in the late stages of a game, especially with teams they need to knock off including Miami, the defending MLS Cup champions. A slim Yankee Stadium crowd over 7,000, brave enough to fight the cold, arrived in the Bronx and were confident this was going to be three points and not one in the standings.
“Don’t worry,” Jansen said. “We will get it right, but it hurts now because it was so unnecessary tonight.”
The second brace for Fernández, the first being against Colorado Rapids on March 14, became the highlight instead of a clean win. On Cincinnati’s end, a historic milestone was marked by Evander, 27, of Brazilian family heritage, becoming the all-time MLS leader in goals scored by a Brazilian player.
“The first, most obvious thing is that we are so much better than that,” said NYCFC keeper Matt Freese. “I’ve been saying it for the last two, three games. We’re just so much better than the way that we’re getting broken down at points. Obviously, some fantastic stuff going forward today. It’s really just up to us to turn it around.”
“It’s still there for the taking, so it’s up to us to dig deep and turn the tides in our favor.”
Freese said he will go back and review the goals he conceded. But remaining is how this was in the hands of NYCFC and how it rapidly got away after the brace and solid defense until stoppage time.
Matt Freese believes NYCFC is much better than what they showed at Yankee Stadium Wednesday night in their 4-4 draw with Cincinnati FC – Image Credit: New York City Football Club
Forward Agustín Ojeda scored his third goal and recorded his second assist of this MLS regular season. He has now tied his single-season MLS regular season goal total from the 2024 MLS regular season with three.
And forward Talles Magno scored his second goal of this MLS regular season. The last time he scored two or more goals in an MLS regular season was in 2023, where he scored four. So there were some positives despite the outcome.
Talles Magno lifted NYCFC up 4-2 at the 79th minute mark but it was not enough as Cincinnati FC quickly fought back Wednesday night in the Bronx – Image Credit: New York City Football Club
Though in the end, it’s the three points and not one in the standings that they need. These draws in a tightly contested Eastern Conference can come back to haunt them when all is said and done in October before Decision Day and the MLS postseason where NYCFC is projected to be.
They will go back to the drawing board and regroup before heading to Montreal Saturday and then taking on the rival Red Bulls next Wednesday in the Round of 16 of the U.S. Open Cup. The schedule is cluttered with another league match at Yankee Stadium May 3rd against MLS Eastern Conference opponent D.C. United.
“It’s not easy after a game like that, we’ve got to respond,” said defender Kevin O’Toole. “We’ve got another one on Saturday. Obviously, it wasn’t a nice conversation after the game between the manager and the players and the players themselves, and that’s part of it. We know we have a game on Saturday, we have a job to do.”
Rich Mancuso is a senior writer and columnist at LatinoSports.com with coverage of MLB, Boxing, and MLS – X:@Ring786, Facebook.com/Rich Mancuso
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