HARRISON, NJ — Not only does New York remain decidedly blue, but NYCFC just dealt one of the final hammer blows to their arch-rival’s playoff hopes.
Thiago Martins’ 65th-minute conversion lifted NYCFC to a 3-2 victory over the New York Red Bulls on Saturday night at Sports Illustrated Stadium. The result momentarily moved NYCFC into third place in the Eastern Conference ahead of Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami. However, Messi and Co. still have two games in hand due to Club World Cup duties in July.
Bolstering their standing in the playoff picture is but a consolation to the main prize, as they have relegated the Red Bulls to the very present danger of missing the MLS playoffs for the first time in 16 years.
With the loss, Sandro Schwarz’s men have two games left to play this season and remain tantalizingly close behind the Chicago Fire, which holds the final Eastern Conference playoff berth in ninth. But it has a game in hand and led the Columbus Crew at the final whistle in New Jersey, potentially increasing its advantage to five points over the Red Bulls (43 points).
Seventeen-year-old Julian Hall’s first MLS goal of the season in the 23rd minute canceled out NYCFC’s immediate opener in the second minute through Nicolas Fernandez, only for Andres Perea’s remarkable header to restore the Pigeons’ lead just three minutes later.
Much like NYCFC’s quick snatch in the first half, the Red Bulls replicated it in the second through Forsberg. Goalkeeper Matt Freese’s turnover allowed Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, who assisted both Red Bulls goals on Saturday night, to go down the right wing with acres of space. His cut-back pass at the top of the box was cannoned home by the right foot of the Red Bulls’ captain two minutes into the second stanza.
Red Bulls’ desperation, however, was not nearly enough, as they were outmatched for the majority of the final 30 minutes by NYCFC — save for the final frantic moments — who had the lion’s share of the final chances.
Fernandez put the Pigeons up inside two minutes, on the visitors’ very first chance of the night. A cut-back ball from Justin Haak at the top of the box played the Argentinian in, and he finished with his left foot just inside Carlos Coronel’s right post.
NYCFC’s lead lasted just 15 minutes amid ceaseless pressure from a desperate Red Bulls side. The 17-year-old Hall, making just his fourth start in MLS play this season, picked up his first league goal of the campaign when he poked a cross from Choupo Moting inside the near post.
City punched right back, though, needing just three minutes to do so, and practically out of nothing. A left-footed cross from Raul Gustavo, which looked too low and quick to do anything with, was somehow turned toward goal by Perea, who managed to get his head around it.
The looping attempt stunned Coronel, who was nearly eight yards outside of his goal and initially rooted to his spot as the chance fell from the heavens. He could only stagger a few paces as it nestled into the back of the net.
Forsberg nearly came away with a carbon copy of his goal in the 79th minute to equalize, when a cutback pass found him at the top of the box, but his attempt was blocked by NYCFC defender Tayvon Gray before it could get to backup keeper Tomas Romero, who came in for an injured Freese in the 65th minute.
Alexander Hack came within inches of an equalizer in the sixth minute of second-half stoppage time, but his header off a free kick that flashed across the goal line was cleared by Kevin O’Toole and into the grateful arms of Romero.
