March 11, 2023 – Major League Soccer (MLS) – New York City FC News Release
Quick Read
New York City Football Club claimed a first victory of the 2023 MLS season with a hard-fought 1-0 triumph against Inter Miami CF. Christopher McVey’s first-half own-goal separated the sides in the Club’s Home Opener at Yankee Stadium, setting the City Boys off and running on Matchday Three of the new campaign.
Match Recap
Stepping out onto home turf for the first time this year, having last graced New York soil in October, City were eager to kickstart the new term, and claim a sixth Home Opener victory in the Bronx, while Miami were looking to extend their 100% record with three from three in 2023.
Phil Neville’s side had been NYCFC’s most recent visitors almost five months ago, as the two sides met in Round One of the playoffs. Triumphing 3-0 that night, Nick Cushing’s side and were eager to continue their impressive record against the Herons, having won six of seven encounters in all competitions, including all three previous home fixtures without conceding.
Head Coach Cushing made one change to the side that drew away at Chicago Fire on Matchday Two, as Santiago Rodríguez replaced Andres Jasson for his first start since returning to the Club as a Designated Player. The Uruguayan occupied the #10 role in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Alfredo Morales and Tayvon Gray were also named on the bench, having missed the trip to Illinois through injury.
The early exchanges bore little in terms of goalmouth action, with the game sparking into life on the quarter-hour mark.
In search of his second goal in as many games, Gabriel Pereira curled straight at Drake Callender, and spurned a golden chance moments later, misjudging Keaton Parks’ delivery at the backpost as the ball rolled agonizingly across goal.
Miami had the ball in the net on 20 minutes when Josef Martínez thought he had opened his goalscoring account for his new side, but the offside flag was raised to correctly rule out the strike.
Luis Barraza was then called into action to claim a looping header from the Venezuelan striker, before City then saw a goal disallowed when Matías Pellegrini was denied a birthday strike against his former Club, smashing home a superb volley on the rebound from a Parks’ piledriver – but also from an offside position.
Franco Negri and Martínez then blazed over for the visitors, before the deadlock was broken through a stroke of good fortune ten minutes before the break. Awarded a free-kick on the…
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