NYCFC drop Game 2 to Charlotte in penalties, face winner-take-all Game 3

NYCFC could not see out its second match of its MLS Playoff first-round matchup against Charlotte FC, losing 7-6 on penalties after both sides played out a 0-0 draw in normal time on Saturday evening.

NYCFC beat Charlotte in NC 1-0 on Tuesday through Alonso Martínez’s 18th goal of the season.

The penalty kicks were in front of a packed City supporters’ section at Yankee Stadium, and substitute Agustin Ojeda saw his spotkick saved by Kristijan Kahlina in the eighth round of the penalty shootout to level the best-of-three series at 1-1.

Matthew Freese saved Ashley Westwood’s effort in the second round of the shootout, causing Yankee Stadium to erupt, and Aidan O’Neill buried the following penalty to put NYCFC up. However, substitute Julián Fernández saw his shot, and City’s fourth, skim off the left post to level the shootout again. The Argentine was welcomed back to the halfway line by captain Thiago Martins and Justin Haak, who scored NYCFC’s third and fifth spotkicks, respectively.

Nathan Byrne sent Freese the wrong way in the last round of the shootout to give Charlotte the lead, and Ojeda put his at a good height for Kahlina to save.

New York head coach Pascal Jansen named an unchanged starting lineup — this time with Kevin O’Toole further up on the left wing and Haak tucking back into the backline.

Haak performed a hybrid defensive midfield-center back role in Charlotte on Tuesday, executing it to perfection and keeping a clean sheet. On Saturday, he continued his stellar showing, forming a back three alongside Martins and Raul Gustavo, while pushing up into midfield when NYCFC had a sustained period of pressure.

Wingbacks Kevin O’Toole and Tayvon Gray pushed high up the wings when Haak dropped, but the latter had more defensive work, tracking Wilfried Zaha. The winger returned to the starting XI from suspension after picking up a red card on Decision Day.

Charlotte prepared better for City’s fluid system than on Tuesday, and the Crown rattled Freese’s frame twice from Brandt Bronico and captain Ashley Westwood. Bronico’s first-time effort hit the crossbar in the 14th minute, and Westwood’s long-range strike clanged against the top-right corner of the crossbar just before the break.

However, Charlotte’s best chance of the first 45 fell to left-back Harry Toffolo. The Crown worked the ball down the right flank well through Zaha, and a cross fell to Idan Toklomati, who flicked it onward to the backpost for an onrushing Toffolo. The former Nottingham Forest defender could not control his shot from six yards out, blasting the ball into the supporter’s section behind Freese’s goal.

City were scrappy in the first half, and could not find the final pass to cut open Charlotte’s defense for a clear-cut opportunity, but O’Toole and Nicolás Fernández Mercau still found joy and space down the wings. Fernández Mercau had switched wings for a portion of the first half and cut it back for Maxi Moralez, who blasted the shot over just before the 40th-minute mark.

Gustavo found a clean connection, heading the ball toward the bottom left corner from the resulting set-piece, but Kahlina was equal to it and pounced on the ball to keep out City.

After the break, the Crown had more of the momentum early on. Zaha forced a save out of Freese at his near post four minutes in, and a free-kick opportunity fell to Kerwin Vargas at the back post, but the winger couldn’t generate enough power in his header back across the six-yard box so that Freese could make a simple catch.

Jansen brought on Ojeda, who has appeared in every MLS match this season for City, mostly as a substitute, and Hannes Wolf on in the 67th minute, and both wingers immediately injected some pace into the NYCFC attack.

Both combined to win two free kicks outside of the Charlotte box with 20 minutes left on the clock, but the most dangerous of the lot was a Martins header saved at point-blank range from Kahlina.

It energized the crowd inside Yankee Stadium and got the NYCFC supporters’ section behind Kahlina’s goal, baying for more attacks from the Boys in Blue.

They dominated the final 10 minutes of the match, putting crosses in at any given chance from the Crown and testing the Charlotte defence’s mettle, but not finding the back of the net.

NYCFC has to travel back to the Bank of America in North Carolina to see out the tie on Friday, Nov. 7.