NYCFC Dominates Cancún FC
February 5, 2022 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
New York City FC News Release
New York City Football Club continued their preseason schedule with a Saturday afternoon meeting against Cancún FC in Mexico.
Head Coach Ronny Deila made two changes to the starting XI that faced CF Montréal last time out, including the return of Club Captain Sean Johnson following his involvement with the United States Men's National Team.
It didn't take long for NYCFC to convert early positive momentum into a goal, with Brazilian striker Héber notching his third strike of preseason after Tayvon Gray's cross found him in the box.
The hosts barely had time to catch their breath when NYCFC struck again, thanks largely to some wonderful individual play by Talles Magno.
The Brazilian teenager was able to dribble by several opponents before chipping a delightful through ball into the path of Santiago Rodríguez. The Uruguayan forward then kept his composure in front of goal by delicately lifting the ball over the onrushing goalkeeper to double NYCFC's advantage.
Deila's side were now firing on all cylinders and producing some impressive team play, which culminated in the Rodríguez's second goal and NYCFC's third.
This time it was veteran playmaker Maxi Moralez who orchestrated the opportunity with a precise long ball from just inside the opposition half. His pinpoint pass found the feet of Rodríguez in behind and allowed him to calmly slot the ball past the goalkeeper.
One of the stars of the first half proved to be Talles Magno, and he added his name to the scoresheet just before half-time. The move started with the teenager combining with his fellow countrymen Héber on halfway. Talles then drove forward before firing past the goalkeeper.
The second period began with 11 changes for NYCFC and it also brought about a first goal for the hosts.
The strike arrived after NYCFC failed to clear a corner and the returned cross found a Cancún player free in the box to tap past Luis Barraza.
However, second half substitute Taty Castellanos, donning the armband, quickly restored his side's four-goal advantage, tapping home after Thiago drove down the left wing and found last season's MLS Golden Boot winner for his first of 2022.
Castellanos scored two more in two second half minutes to complete a hat-trick, first showing poacher's instinct to steal in and win the ball from the goalkeeper for NYC's sixth on 69', before Taty completed the scoring at the end of an incisive break starring Thiago and Chris Gloster.
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