October 18, 2022 – Major League Soccer (MLS) – New York City FC News Release
New York City Football Club booked our place in the Conference Semifinals of the 2022 MLS Cup Playoffs with an excellent 3-0 win over Inter Miami CF.
Here are Five Points from a special night at Citi Field…
A Superb Second Half
What a second half display: cool, confident and clinical, to claim a thoroughly deserved win.
As the teams headed into halftime, City could have been forgiven for letting their heads drop in fear that it simply wouldn’t be our night, having seen the Miami woodwork rattled three times in the opening 45!
The remarkable passage of play in which Aimé Mabika somehow cleared Héber’s clipped attempt off the line, crashing the ball off the crossbar, before Christopher McVey then sliced his clearance off the post, left those watching on scratching their heads in disbelief: ‘What had just happened?!’
New York had dominated the goalmouth action, registering the biggest difference in shot attempts in a first half of a playoff game since 2011, but headed into the break level.
Yet, that frustration merely fueled more forceful firepower in the final third, and the home side came out all guns blazing in the second half, opening the scoring with a delightful Gabriel Pereira effort, before Maxi Moralez (more on that goal shortly!) and Héber ruthlessly sealed the tie.
It was an emphatic second half display. Miami simply could not find an answer.
NYCFC had dealt the killer blow and capitalized on the momentum – the mentality of Champions – providing further evidence that the Boys in Blue are finding our best form and unearthing that winning mentality at just the right time.
Teamwork
It was a goal that sparked jubilant scenes in all corners of the ground, and raised eyebrows across the soccer world – not only for its importance but for its delightful craftsmanship.
New York’s second at Citi Field was a thing of beauty, a joy to behold, and the perfect example of the beautiful football this Club admire and advocate.
In total, City clocked 19 passes in the build-up to Moralez’s brilliant effort, starting with goalkeeper Johnson, transitioning defense into attack and patiently moving the ball across the field, waiting for the ideal moment to press forward…
That moment arrived when Anton Tinnerholm spotted the influential Santiago Rodríguez’s clever run, and the Uruguayan claimed his second assist of the game with the second back heel of that move, flicking into Moralez’s path…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at OurSports Central Major League Soccer MLS News…