New York City FC earned a hugely important win for their playoff chances and their playoff positioning on Matchday 28, beating Chicago Fire FC 3-1 in come-from-behind fashion at Soldier Field.
Chicago jumped out to an early lead behind a Philip Zinckernagel opening goal inside 20 minutes, just as they did back in May when they visited Yankee Stadium in the reverse fixture. Just like in May, New York City scored three unanswered goals and came out 3-1 winners, though this time with Nico Fernández Mercau tapping home his first goal for NYCFC to get the scoring started.
That was one of multiple milestones checked off in this win over the Fire. Recently-signed defender Raul Gustavo made his New York City FC debut and put in an impressive 90-minute shift paired in central defense with his compatriot Thiago Martins. Alonso Martínez guided home the go-ahead goal, his 15th MLS goal of the season and his league-leading ninth game-winning MLS goal of the season.
The cherry on top of it all, though, was 17-year-old striker Seymour Reid scoring his first MLS goal on the counter in second-half stoppage time to ice New York City's victory. He surpassed a record set by Jonny Shore earlier this season, becoming the youngest player to ever score for New York City in the club's history, and Reid is also now the youngest player to score a goal in MLS this season.
The road victory lets NYCFC jump up to 7th Place in the Eastern Conference while also giving them a significant five-point cushion on the Fire, who remain stuck in 9th Place.
Oliver Strand
New York City: 1.8 xG, 11 shots, 5 shots on target, 52% possession, 476 passes, 82% pass accuracy, 16 fouls, 4 corners, 2 saves
Chicago: 1.2 xG, 14 shots, 3 shots on target, 48% possession, 516 passes, 85% pass accuracy, 7 fouls, 2 corners, 2 saves
Goals:
• Chicago, Philip Zinckernagel, 13'
New York City, Nico Fernández Mercau, 40'
New York City, Alonso Martínez, 57'
New York City, Seymour Reid, 90'+3'
Attendance: 20,636
Early adversity leads to a Nico breakthrough
The Fire struck early and looked like they were about to keep their recent hot streak (4W-2D-1L in seven matches preceding this game) alive. After Tayvon Gray turned the ball over while trying to pick out an upfield pass from deep in NYCFC's defensive end, Brian Gutierrez slipped Zinckernagel in on goal and through the left side of NYCFC's defense.
Zinckernagel placed his shot perfectly past Matt Freese and the hosts appeared to be ready to spend the night taking advantage of a new-look New York City defensive backline that included Raul Gustavo making his MLS debut.
After Zinckernagel's 13th-minute goal, though, New York City locked things down at the back and started picking out opportunities to threaten Chicago. Things improved when the wide attackers deployed by Pascal Jansen, Hannes Wolf and Nico Fernández Mercau, switched sides of the field. Wolf went over to the left and Fernández Mercau to the right around the 30-minute mark, an in-match adjustment that quickly paid dividends.
New York City had their first best chance to equalize in the 35th minute and it came on a quick counter after a Chicago turnover, with Alonso Martínez's blasted first-time shot saved by Fire goalkeeper Chris Brady.
Only a few minutes later the equalizer did arrive and it came from the team's newest Designated Player. Nico Fernández Mercau made the back-post run and a low cross from a charging Kevin O'Toole made it all the way across the face of the Chicago goal, giving Nico a tap-in and a vital equalizer to open his MLS scoring account. Nico got an assist on his debut back in late July at FC Dallas, but while there was a longer wait for that first goal, it ended up coming at exactly the right time.
Nico Fernández goal vs Chicago. Video via MLS on Twitter.
The goal to make it 1-1 fully erased the momentum that Chicago had to start this match. Even coming out of halftime, NYCFC looked the more likely team to score a second goal, which they'd get from their most consistent source of clutch goals.
Alonso finds a way, again
Alonso Martínez had three decent chances to score from open play in this game but couldn't convert any of them. He got denied on that great strike in the 35th, misfired from close range with a header after being picked out by a perfect Tayvon Gray cross in the 44th minute, and had another dangerous low strike saved by Chris Brady at his near-post in the 40th minute.
The Costa Rican was consistently showcasing his dangerous qualities in and around the box but not being rewarded for them. It felt for a minute like he was due for a frustrating night of near-misses in Chicago, but that changed on a corner kick routine in the 57th minute.
Fernández Mercau swung in a good delivery, Raul Gustavo showcased his size and aerial ability to win the header convincingly on Nico's cross, and the ball deflected off a Chicago defender (handball, maybe, in another life) and fell fortuitously to Martínez. He didn't have a clear shooting lane in the slightest, as there were at least three Chicago defenders between Martínez and the goal, yet his instinctive low strike nutmegged two of those Fire defenders and rolled into the back of the net to give NYCFC their 2-1 lead.
Martínez for the lead. Video via MLS on Twitter.
Martínez keeps making history and keeps climbing the all-time leaderboard of NYCFC goalscorers, but most importantly, he keeps overcoming any and all adversity that comes his way in games to still find ways to score the important goals when New York City needs them. This wasn't an easy finish but the man we've dubbed El Clínico showed off how natural he can be as a goalscorer – his finish was instinctive and unstoppable.
Pressure withstood, win secured
Down one goal, Chicago had more of the ball and more of the decent-looking chances after New York City got their lead via Alonso Martínez, but NYCFC had a number of players in their defensive midfield and back line step up in major ways in the second half.
Justin Haak made five tackles, Thiago Martins blocked three shots, debutant Raul Gustavo went 3-for-4 in winning his aerial duels while also making three interceptions, and substitute Jonny Shore contributed four tackles and three clearances while playing the final 20 minutes of the win. New York City blocked a total of six of the Fire's shots while Matt Freese had to make one highlight-reel save while not facing a ton of on-target efforts, thanks to the work of many of the players in front of him.
Chicago pushed, NYCFC did its part to hold the 2-1 lead, and then Pascal Jansen's team got a special moment to seal the victory. Seymour Reid, 17-years-old and now the lone backup striker to Alonso Martínez, capitalized on his time in the match as a 90th-minute substitute. Reid and fellow second-half attacking substitute Agustín Ojeda got behind an all-attacking Fire in desperation mode, executing a perfect counterattack with Ojeda finding an unmarked Reid, who got the finish right to make it a 3-1 lead and remove any doubt over the result.
Seymour Reid's first MLS goal. Video via MLS on Twitter.
Reid, Ojeda, and Shore all had sizable impacts for NYCFC off the bench to see out this big road win. The team's attacking stars, new and old, combined to get the first two goals. The defense stood tall save for some early wobbles, then the team's quality depth off the bench entered in the second half to see out the result. About as picture-perfect of an away win as you could draw up for New York City at this late stage in the season when they're only playing direct playoff rivals and when every result can swing things in an ultra-close MLS Eastern Conference table.
• New York City, Aiden O'Neill, yellow card, bad foul, 37'
Officials
• Referee: Pierre-Luc Lauziere
• Assistant referees: Jeremy Kieso, Jeffrey Greeson
• Fourth official: Benjamin Meyer
• VAR: Kevin Terry Jr.
• Assistant VAR: Jonathan Johnson
