Nicolás Fernández Mercau helps NYCFC beat Charlotte FC and move on in playoffs | OneFootball

New York City FC entered the final match of the Round One Best-of-3 series knowing they had one simple task: win to remain in the MLS Cup Playoffs, or otherwise, the season would officially be over.  The Pigeons knew they had a tough task ahead of them.  But somehow, for the second time in a row, the visitors won, beating Charlotte FC 3-1.

Truthfully, the Bronx side should never have been in this position where there was a third game.  The win on the road for the first time at Bank of America Stadium should have sparked their confidence at home.  Instead, a 0-0 draw enabled a penalty kick shootout, which obviously led to Charlotte forcing the final match.

This time, the game was not a low-scoring affair. Funny enough, though, NYCFC had just eight shots compared to the home side's 16. The difference was they had seven on target compared to the one from the Crown, who struggled to create the clinical shots thanks to the defensive work by the visitors

In some ways, based on the history, the result was shocking. But NYCFC had a job to do, and they kept their season alive.

NYCFC will move on in the MLS Cup Playoffs

NYCFC spent a good portion of the early part of the match in their defensive third.  Charlotte controlled the pace of play, and it took everyone to keep the Crown from scoring.  Plus, the team looked shaky, but eventually they adjusted and got themselves more into the game.

There were still multiple giveaways, and when the Crown had the ball, the Boys in Blue were sometimes extremely messy in the backline.  Often, other players had to step up and fix the mistakes or poor defensive choices of others.  A great example was Thiago Martins’ clearance in the 15th minute, when his teammates were giving the opposition chances to score.

There was also the issue of the offense in the first half.  The Bronx side was held to two shots all the way until stoppage time.  The crosses into the box were poor, especially from Wolf.  Despite having the higher possession percentage, the Pigeons labored to create opportunities, which were on the low end.  At least, that was until stoppage time of the first 45 minutes.

Charlotte initially had a throw-in near the box, but Andrés Perea headed the ball, aiming to clear it.  Instead, it landed at Nicolás Fernández Mercau, who powered his way beyond everyone, running out of the defensive third.  The Argentine subsequently ran all the way up the right side of the pitch, winning the race with Charlotte defenders.  It became a 1v1 scenario, and then a 1v2 scenario, but he did not care.

When he was in the goalkeeper’s box, and on an awkward angle, Fernández Mercau shot the ball beyond Kristijan Kahlina.

The goal might have been better than Alonso Martínez’s goal in the first match.  But the Costa Rican wanted to join his teammate on the scoresheet and came out of the locker room hungry for a goal.  And in the 50th minute, he doubled NYCFC’s lead.

Maxi Moralez had a beautiful pass to the striker, who had nobody in front of him.  Nathan Byrne ran beside him, but Martínez ran harder and faster than the Charlotte player.  Eventually, he struck the ball gently and with ease, putting it into the back of the net.

NYCFC continued to play well, and the home side continued to cause some chaos for the Pigeons in their defensive third.  Still, they kept the match scoreless until the 81st minute.  Idan Toklomati brought the ball down in front of Matt Freese and put it away to put his team into the fixture.

But before then, the Boys in Blue suffered an awful loss.  Perea, after jumping up to try and get the ball, hurt his lower leg or ankle. His foot turned in a way that it should not have turned.  Immediately, the players’ faces from both sides highlighted the horror of the injury, and watching the midfielder go off the pitch on the cart truly impacted the mindset of the NYCFC players.  This allowed the Crown to become the better team in the 75th minute, and the Pigeons had to defend for their lives for the rest of the game, including 12 minutes of stoppage time.

It truly felt like Charlotte would get another goal, for the tide changed in their favor. The team had control of the pace of play, and they had the chances to score.  The Bronx team had their backs to the wall, or in this case, their goal. But the second goal never arrived.

Rather, one more magical moment in a series that had everything led to the third and final goal.  Fernández Mercau secured a brace thanks to a brilliant counter-attack started by Agustín Ojeda.  His pass made its way to Wolf, who ran all the way toward the goal from around the halfway line.  He then found Fernández Mercau on the left, and the Argentine maneuvered his way toward the goal.  With a chip over the Charlotte keeper, he sealed NYCFC’s spot in the Conference Semifinals.

As a result, the Pigeons will face the Philadelphia Union in the next round.  This win was great, but now the team has to figure out how to win without Perea and Aiden O’Neill, who will miss the match due to yellow card accumulation.  Sure, the Pigeons have Jonathan Shore and Justin Haak can move into the midfield.  But the two players will surely be missed.