Alonso Martínez and Matt Freese lead NYCFC to the second win over Charlotte FC | OneFootball

On a beautiful Saturday afternoon in the Bronx, New York City FC welcomed their kryptonite team, Charlotte FC, to Yankee Stadium. As it is with a certain superhero, the Pigeons tend to be weakened against the Crown, despite the fact they wear a different shade of blue and not green. The Boys in Blue only had one win in seven games entering this fixture. They needed to get the win, and thankfully, they did.

NYCFC won 2-0, with both goals coming from the penalty kick spot.  The players had to spend a good portion of the game on the defensive end, and in complete honesty, that is why they won.  Charlotte had over 56% of the possession, but the opposing players were limited to six shots.  Meanwhile, the home team had 15.

Getting the second win against Charlotte is an incredible feeling.  The Pigeons will need more results like this for the team to no longer be their kryptonite.  They also ended the Crown's nine-game winning streak. But this is extremely helpful in their chase to move up the standings in the Eastern Conference. Oh, and NYCFC is officially going to the playoffs!

One thing to note, though, that could have been better, was the crowd.  It would have been great for the team to have a higher attendance than usual since it was a day game, Kids Day, and gorgeous, but alas, that was not the case.

NYCFC earns the second win against Charlotte FC

For those who were there, well, they were able to see a competitive game.  They were also given some hope early in the fixture, for NYCFC was awarded a penalty kick in the ninth minute.  Charlotte’s goalkeeper, Kristijan Kahlina, was called for a foul in the box on Andrés Perea, tripping him as he tried to power his way through for a shot or pass.

As a result, Alonso Martínez stepped up to take the kick.  And in the 11th minute, the striker powerfully struck the ball right down the middle to put his team ahead 1-0.

Of course, scoring that goal did not mean that the Bronx side would take over the battle.  Not only was Charlotte their kryptonite, but as mentioned, the team was on a nine-match winning streak.  Their form has been one of the best, so NYCFC knew they would have to put in the defensive effort.

Hence, the visitors immediately reacted after the goal, putting pressure on the home side and controlling the majority of the possession for the next 30 minutes.  The Pigeons had to go into overdrive defensively and could not take control of the ball.  The opportunities to add another were somewhat nonexistent until the end of the first half.  From the 44th minute until the end of stoppage time, they had four shots.

NYCFC knew the likelihood of winning 1-0 against the Crown was highly unlikely.  But they needed to do whatever they could to earn all three points.  So, if that meant defending for most of the game, then they had to do that.  But scoring the second goal was the mission for the team when they came out for the second half.  When they had the ball, they put together strong attacking sequences.

And like they did earlier in the game, that work paid off.  However, it was not from open play; instead, the Boys in Blue earned another penalty kick due to a handball in the box.

Unquestionably, Martínez stepped up to take the kick for the second time.  So, in the 58th minute, the Costa Rican sent Kahlina the other way and fiercely kicked the ball into the right side of the goal.  The roar of the crowd was loud with joy, and there was a feeling that the team could earn the second win over Charlotte.

Still, the Crown would not go away and continued to attack.  And about ten minutes later, they, too, would have a chance to score via a penalty kick.  Tayvon Gray committed the foul on Wilfried Zaha in the box, and the former Premier League star tried to put his team on the board in the 69th minute.  Thankfully, his shot was poorly taken, and recently extended Matt Freese gobbled the ball to safety.

In fact, Freese was a major part of the solid defensive work.  He had two major saves during the game and likely tricked Zaha into making the terrible shot from the penalty spot.  He made it look like he was coming off his line, but made sure his feet were touching as the forward took his kick.

Plus, the goalkeeper had the huge save back in the eighth minute.  Charlotte’s Zaha shot the ball toward the goal, which was deflected, and Freese had to react to the deflection.  The ball’s change in direction would have saw it dip into the goal right near the top bar.  But he reacted and tipped it over the goal to keep the game level at that time.

It must be said that the entire team deserves their flowers after the defensive performance that they had.  Everyone worked together to close down the Charlotte players, especially during the period in the first half when the visiting team controlled the game.  The clearances were also done smartly, and none were failed clearances that led to chances.

In the end, that was why NYCFC won the three points.  It was challenging, but the players stepped up like they did against the Columbus Crew.  The final stretch does not get easier either, for Inter Miami CF is the next team that will come to the Big Apple.  There is no rest for the Pigeons.  That is probably for the best since the team is in great form at the perfect time.