October 24, 2022 – Major League Soccer (MLS) – New York City FC News Release
New York City Football Club earned a place in the 2022 MLS Playoffs Conference Finals with an excellent 3-1 victory at CF Montréal.
Here are Five Points from a special win at Stade Saputo…
Magic In Montréal
As away performances go, this one was near-perfect.
Games on the road always pose a different and difficult challenge, as a team has to negotiate travel, unfamiliar surroundings, a boisterous home crowd and likely, plenty of on-pitch pressure, especially against a side that had finished the season so strongly.
City managed this encounter superbly, starting off on the front foot, weathering the Montréal storm and striking the vital blows at he ideal time to effectively kill any hopes of a home comeback.
While matches of such magnitude can affect decision-making and allow emotion to override logic, City played the game and not the occasion, keeping clear heads on all corners of the pitch, working as one solid unit to see the win through.
It was an emphatic victory, but the Boys in Blue will not have been satisfied. Though Đorđe Mihailović’s late effort came too late to influence the result of the contest, the consolation will have frustrated Nick Cushing and co., given how well we had defended, with the squad constantly striving for perfection – a true mark of Champions.
Lightning Start
Previewing the game on Friday, Interim Head Coach Cushing spoke of the importance of intensity in City’s bid for back-to-back playoff success.
Riding the crest of the wave on the back of five consecutive wins, the Boys in Blue headed into the clash full of confidence and belief, having shown glimpses of their very best in recent weeks at both ends of the pitch.
Starting this game on the front foot was key and the visitors came flying out of the blocks, issuing early statements of intent by laying immediate siege to the Montréal goal.
The deadlock was broken with just six minutes played with yet another well-crafted goal. The influential Santiago Rodríguez and Gabriel Pereira combined well, before the Brazilian clipped the ball into the danger zone where once again, Maxi Moralez was in the right place at the right time to smash home.
The goal stunned the home crowd into silence, while our incredible traveling fans, players and staff were jubilant. City were immediately on the front foot – that positive feeling working wonders to further motivate, inspire confidence and settle any nerves. We…
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