With goalkeeper Matt Freese as the hero, New York City FC beat FC Cincinnati 6-5 on penalties (0-0 in regulation time) on Saturday in the tiebreaker match of the first round of the North American League (MLS) playoffs. ).
The first round, which is played in the best of three games, concluded this Saturday with two other definitions, including the key between Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami and Atlanta United.
At the TQL Stadium in Cincinnati (Ohio), the American Freese saved three maximum penalties to give visiting New York City the classification in a penalty shootout in which five consecutive shots were missed.
Argentine Luciano Acosta, winner of last season’s MVP (Most Valuable Player) award, converted Cincinnati’s first shot at the end of a game that the locals completely dominated, enjoying the best scoring chances.
To the frustration of its 26,000 fans, Cincinnati put the victory on a plate for New York City by missing its last three shots with two saves by Freese from the American Gerardo Valenzuela and the Zimbabwean Teenage Hadebe and with a high shot from the Nigerian Chidozie Awaziem.
Kevin O’Toole and the Colombian-American Andrés Perea forgave the visitors’ first chances to qualify but the Slovenian Mitja Ilenic converted the final penalty that eliminated Cincinnati, the third seed in the Eastern Conference.
The rival of New York City, sixth seed, in the Eastern semifinals will be the other New York team, the Red Bulls, unexpected executioner of the current champion, Columbus Crew.
The other two semifinalists from the East were defined this Saturday. Messi and Luis Suaréz’s Inter Miami hosted the playoff game against Atlanta United and Uruguayan Facundo Torres’ Orlando City did so against Charlotte FC.
The Western semifinals are now set with first-seeded Los Angeles FC facing the Seattle Sounders and the Los Angeles Galaxy facing Minnesota United.
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