NYCFC earns first road win over Charlotte FC in Game 1 of Best-of-3 series | OneFootball

The MLS Cup Playoffs have officially begun for New York City FC as the team played the first game of the Round One Best-of-3 series. Facing Charlotte FC, the Bronx side knew they had a tough task ahead of them for not just this round, but the first match of the series. They never won in Charlotte, but that changed on Tuesday. The Boys in Blue won 1-0 to take the first game of the series.

Interestingly, Pascal Jansen once again went with Raul Gustavo in the backline rather than partnering Justin Haak and Thiago Martins, who have worked well together throughout most of the year in a four-man backline.  Haak moved between the backline and defensive midfield during the fixture until Gustavo came out in the 72nd minute.  Gustavo actually switched between the left-back and center-back positions.

Additionally, Hannes Wolf was dropped to the bench while Aiden O’Neill returned to the Starting XI after missing the Decision Day loss.  This surprisingly led to Kevin O’Toole playing higher up the pitch and more as a winger, with Andrés Perea moving between the midfield and left midfield areas.  The way players moved about and played in multiple positions was a great thing to see in the playoff match.

Anyway, based on these changes, Jansen clearly went with a slightly more defensive lineup, likely knowing that NYCFC struggled on the road against the Crown.  The first half was not like that, but the second half matched this idea.

NYCFC is one win away from the next round

After a bit of a tough end to the season, NYCFC came out ready to play and score goals.  While it was thought the team would focus on the defense, the offense had another idea.  The Pigeons outplayed Charlotte in the final third during the first half, outshooting the home side eight to three.

The attack started early, too.  Alonso Martínez had a shot in the third minute that forced a block from the Crown’s star center-back, Adilson Malanda.  The striker subsequently had two more shots in the fifth minute, illuminating that he meant business.

One of the more impressive shots in the first half came from Perea in the 31st minute.  The midfielder would have scored a golazo if the ball had not bounced off the crossbar.  It was so close and a brilliant chance.

But in the 34th minute, Martínez finally scored for the first time since NYCFC last faced Charlotte in September.  The Costa Rican obtained the ball outside of the box and danced around Charlotte defenders like it was a choreographed sequence for a movie.  Nobody stopped him, and this enabled the forward to strike the ball with ease and power.  He put the ball into the back of the net to put his team in front.

Alas, that was the only goal for NYCFC, and the Bronx side had a completely different second half.  They spent the majority of the time defending and trying to maintain their one-goal lead.  The players became a defensive cog, working hand in hand to protect Matt Freese.

Yet, the goalkeeper still had work to do.  He had four saves throughout the evening and took risks coming off his line. Of course, it worked out for the Pigeons.  More importantly, Freese was there when the defense broke down.  A great example came in the 17th minute, when Haak and Martins miscommunicated, allowing Charlotte a chance to score.  Freese had other ideas, and Brandt Bronico was stopped before he could inflict damage.

The best chance for the home team came in the 51st minute.  Kerwin Vargas’ shot forced the NYCFC keeper to quickly react and fall to his right to make the save, forcing a corner kick.  That easily could have been a goal for the Crown, but thankfully, the Pigeons have their 2024 team MVP between the sticks.

NYCFC was not completely shut down in the second half.  They added on four more shots, including another big chance from Perea in the 86th minute.  His header in front of the goal was saved by Charlotte’s Kristijan Kahlina.

Still, it was a story of two halves, and fans were able to see both sides of NYCFC.  Now, the focus must turn to the second match, which will take place on Saturday at Yankee Stadium. The home advantage seems to be missing this season, but ideally, the road win against Charlotte will act as a major confidence booster to get the job done and move on in the MLS Cup Playoffs.