Defensive meltdown leads NYCFC to a crazy draw with FC Cincinnati | OneFootball

New York City FC knew they had one goal on Wednesday night, and that was to secure three points and get back into the scoring groove.  The Boys in Blue welcomed FC Cincinnati to the Bronx with the weight of the world on their shoulders.  After losing to Charlotte FC over the weekend, the players knew they could not go five matches winless in Major League Soccer.

The night almost ended in a win, but two goals given up in stoppage time saw NYCFC share the points with Cincinnati in a crazy 4-4 draw.  This means that the winless streak continues, and then poor defense took away from an incredible match in the final third.

It was interesting that Pascal Jansen did not rotate the players since this was the second midweek game in a row.  It would have been nice to see Talles Magno earn the start, and perhaps one of the young Homegrown players could have earned the call.  Alas, the head coach went with the same team as the weekend, including a center-back pairing of Raul Gustavo and Thiago Martins.

The two center-backs were part of why the game ended in 4-4.  Neither had their best game, and it was interesting that Gustavo started as the center-back again over Kai Trewin.  Instead, the Australian was in the midfield, and Keaton Parks was on the bench.

NYCFC and FC Cincinnati shared the points

Since both teams were struggling a little bit, and neither has a record that matches their capabilities, it was expected to be a back-and-forth affair when it came to possession and chances.  And, based on the score, it was.

In the 20th minute, Aiden O’Neill served a decent ball into the box, going right near the goal. Cincinnati’s goalkeeper, Roman Celentano, grabbed the ball.  But the soccer gods might have blessed the home side and cursed the keeper, for the ball fell out of his hands.  Nicolás Fernández Mercau was in the right spot at the right time and pounced on the ball to give NYCFC the lead.

The goal was a gift, but sometimes the soccer gods giveth and they taketh.  In the 32nd minute, Cincinnati was given a perfect opportunity.  The backline was ball watching and not marking players that could easily find the back of the net.  As such, Kévin Denkey was wide open, and both Martins and Gustavo were drawn away from the forward as Ender Echenique found his teammate.  With room, Denkey scored on an angle that left the defense baffled and Matt Freese angry.

However, to the joy of NYCFC fans, it was only three minutes later that they took back the lead.  Tayvon Gray found Maxi Moralez, and the Argentine found his fellow Argentine, Fernández Mercau, with a one-touch through-ball.  The Designated Player subsequently powered toward the goal, deflecting the ball off a falling Celentano and into the back of the net.

Meanwhile, the goals were not done just yet.  O’Neill, who had a superb night with his passes, picked out Agustín Ojeda, who made a run on the right side.  The youngest Argentine ran after the ball as it rolled ahead of him.  He took control as he neared the box and stepped his way into a scoring position.  He took his shot, and Celentano was left in a stupor as he fell onto the ground and the ball rolled into the bottom-left corner in the 53rd minute.

Then, Cincinnati almost scored in the 57th minute.  Evander, who is one of the top midfielders in MLS, scored a golazo from outside the box that easily could have been a contender for the goal of the year.  But the goal was sent to VAR, and it was ruled that a foul was committed on the buildup of play. This was somewhat controversial, but a big reason why NYCFC did not lose.

That did not matter, though, for the Orange and Blue secured that second goal in the 65th minute.  The visitors had a free kick, and Evander put the ball into the box.  It fell to Denkey, and once again, the Boys in Blue failed to stop the forward.  He maneuvered himself amongst a crowd of defenders and put the ball past an angry Freese.

Still, the goals were not done; the Pigeons came out to score, and Magno added the fourth goal on the night in the 78th minute.  Ojeda sent the ball to him in the box, and the Brazilian turned around before flicking the ball in a rainbow motion past a flying Celentano.

Notably, the goal will add to the argument that the winger should earn a start in MLS, and should have sealed the win.  But of course, NYCFC’s defense has been questionable, and closing out games can be an issue.  So, with a 4-2 score entering seven minutes of stoppage time, the visitors found a way to tie the game.  Andrei Chirila scored an incredible golazo, the second one allowed on the night by NYCFC.  Again, the defense was messy, and the young player took his chance.

Then, Cincinnati took the air out of the stadium when the worst possible thing happened: the Bronx side gave up a penalty kick.  Kevin O’Toole committed a foul inside the box, and Evander stepped up to take the kick.  The star player put the ball beyond Freese, and that was that.

If NYCFC was not winless entering the match, then the crazy draw would have been one that fans would have been somewhat okay with.  Of course, the Pigeons gave up the lead in a terrible way.  But at this point, there are no words. The team is better than the results, but this draw was their doing.