A depleted New York City FC, missing Alonso Martínez, Andrés Perea, and Aiden O'Neill, defeated the Philadelphia Union 1-0 to advance in the MLS Cup Playoffs. Now, NYCFC will face Inter Miami CF in Ft Lauderdale, where they will play in the Eastern Conference Finals for the third time in club history.
NYCFC didn't just upset the top-seeded team in Major League Soccer; they handed the Supporters' Shield winners their first home loss since March 16. A goal from Maxi Moralez in the 27th minute was enough to secure the win, and to eliminate Philadelphia from the playoffs for the third time in club history
Here are three thoughts from a thrilling Eastern Conference Semifinal.
Hudson River Blue Staff
1. Maxi Moralez scores only goal of the game
Playing in front of an extremely hostile Subaru Park crowd, it was paramount that NYCFC score first if they were to pull off an upset.
Missing Martínez, Head Coach Pascal Jansen put Nico Fernández Mercau up top to operate as a False 9. Nico scored a brace in the Game 3 win over Charlotte FC, but tonight he provided the assist to Maxi Moralez, who came up big with a goal in the 27th minute.
The play started when Tayvon Gray sprinted forward and played a through ball to Agustín Ojeda, who beat Olwethu Makhanya to play a pass to Nico at the top of the box. Nico excellently picked out Moralez running in behind to put the ageless 38-year-old one-on-one with Philadelphia's Andre Blake. Moralez made the most of the moment, poking his shot past the goalkeeper.
Maxi Moralez scores his fourth playoff goal against Philadelphia. | Courtesy New York City FC
It was Moralez's club-leading sixth playoff goal, and fourth playoff goal against Philadelphia. The veteran midfielder is New York City's most experienced player, with 264 appearances and 22 playoff appearances, both club records. But he put in an 87-minute shift tonight, winning five ground duels, making six recoveries, and creating one chance.
2. Chaotic second half
New York City almost made it 2-0 in the 55th minute, when a long-range shot from Nico from well behind the halfway line caught Blake off his line. The low, curling shot was headed for the goal, but Blake scrambled back to make a diving save and keep Nico off the scoresheet.
But Blake's save came at a cost. The goalkeeper seemingly strained his hamstring, and was forced to leave the game. The 19-year-old Andrew Rick replaced him, making his first-ever MLS Cup playoff appearance. Rick might be a backup, but he's no stranger to NYCFC: He was in goal for Philadelphia when they won 5-1 at Yankee Stadium on September 18, 2o24, and lost 1-0 at Citi Field on April 12, 2024.
Matt Freese makes a fantastic save. | Courtesy New York City FC
Rick made one save in his 30 minutes in goal. But the night belonged to NYCFC goalkeeper Matt Freese, who made five saves while facing an xG of 2.04. Freese made his best save of the night in the 74th minute, when a cross to the back post found Frankie Westfield. But the forward's near-post tap-in attempt was saved by Freese's legs.
3. Next Up: Inter Miami in the Eastern Conference Finals
Now, NYCFC will play Inter Miami in the Eastern Conference Finals on either Saturday, November 29, or Sunday, November 30 at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale.
With Philadelphia eliminated, it's no overstatement to say that Miami is the favorite to lift MLS Cup — the most expensive payroll in MLS destroyed FC Cincinnati 4-0 in the Eastern Conference Semifinal thanks to a one-goal, three-assist performance from Lionel Messi.
Messi now has 11 goals and 11 assists in his last seven matches, and is averaging one goal contribution every 28.6 minutes. Overall, he has 35 goals and 20 assists in MLS this season, including the playoffs.
New York City kept Messi quiet in their first two matches against Miami, but the club felt his wrath back in September, as he scored two goals en route to a 4-0 romp at Citi Field.
But NYCFC have been in this position before: They now have three road wins in three road games in these playoffs, beating two teams that are dominant at home in Charlotte and Philadelphia.
It won't be easy to upset such a heavily-favored team on the road, but it isn't anything new to New York City.
