New York City FC II Win 4-3 on Penalties
July 7, 2024 - MLS NEXT Pro (MLS NEXT Pro)
New York City FC II News Release
New York City FC II recorded a 1-1 draw against FC Cincinnati 2 on Sunday evening. A strong first half from the visitors saw them take the lead on the half-hour mark through Taylor Calheira. The forward's neat turn on the edge of the area created the space for him to finish into the bottom corner. The hosts would level in the 59th minute from Guilherme Santos. The two sides could not be separated during 90 minutes and that forced a penalty shootout to decide who claimed the bonus point. After ten spot kicks, City claimed a 4-3 victory thanks to heroics from Meyer.
Match Recap
New York City FC II were looking to extend their three-game winning streak on Sunday when they took on FC Cincinnati 2.
City were back in action for the first time since June 12 when they beat Toronto FC II.
Head Coach Matthew Pilkington named a strong side for the trip, with former New York City defender Nico Benalcazar starting for the hosts.
The visitors started brightly and that saw Taylor Calheira register a shot on target inside five minutes. The forward did well to generate a yard of space with a clever turn but saw his effort comfortably saved.
City were inches from claiming the lead in the 19th minute after defender Matthew Leong found himself free at the back post from a corner. Leong looked certain to score but was denied by a brilliant reaction save from Evan Louro.
At the other end, FC Cincinnati came close to cutting City open in the 21st minute thanks to a driven ball through the middle. Thankfully, goalkeeper Will Meyer was on hand to scoop the ball up.
Calheria was a growing influence on the contest and a corner for City in the 26th minute found him free inside the area. The forward was able to make contact with the ball, but his header bounced just past the post.
The momentum was firmly in City's favor and that pressure told on the half-hour mark with the first goal of the game.
A move that owed much to a brilliant pass through the lines by defender Samuel Owusu, he found Calheira in space, and after turning away from two defenders, he calmly slotted the ball into the bottom corner.
Cincinnati were eager to restore parity and that forced Meyer to leave his line again to deny Kenji Mboma Dem. The forward exchanged passes with Guilherme Santos, but could not get the ball past Meyer from a narrow angle.
The half ended with another chance for Calheira after he exchanged passes with Jonathan Jiménez. Unfortunately, the forward could not sort his feet in time and saw his shot spin wide.
The second half saw both teams exchange early looks at goal before the hosts equalizer just shy of the hour mark. Arriving after a turnover from City inside their own half, the move was finished by Santos from close range.
City promptly set about trying to retake the lead and a precise through ball by Máximo Carrizo eventually found Ronald Arévalo in space, but his effort from the tightest of angles was well-saved by Louro.
Pilkington would introduce his first substitute in the 75th minute as Jiménez was replaced by Julien Lacher. The hosts were reduced to ten men with minutes remaining of normal time when London Aghedo collected a second yellow card.
Two late changes for City saw Camil Azzam Ruiz and Nicholas Kapanadze replace Arévalo and Stevo Bednarsky. The two sides could not be separated during 90 minutes and that forced a penalty shootout to decide who claimed the bonus point. After ten spot kicks, City claimed a 4-3 victory thanks to heroics from Meyer.
How We Lined Up
What's Next
Next up for New York City FC II is a meeting with Chicago Fire FC II on July 14. Kickoff at SeatGeek Stadium is set for 4:00 PM ET.
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