With youth comes flashes of brilliance and maddening inconsistency. That has been the story of New York City FC's 2024 season.
But for 90-plus heart-pounding minutes Tuesday night at Red Bull Arena, against LIGA MX juggernaut Tigres UANL, the youngest team in MLS showcased their true potential.
"We see our standard tonight," NYCFC head coach Nick Cushing said after his squad ousted Tigres, 2-1, in the Leagues Cup Round of 16.
In a match Cushing equated to a heavyweight bout, his squad absorbed the first punch via Guido Pizarro's opening goal in the 18th minute. But they fought back, with club legend Maxi Moralez equalizing two minutes later and Santi Rodríguez scoring the winning goal in the 65th minute to send one of the tournament favorites packing.
"We've seen patches of real good play, and then we've seen patches of inconsistency. Tonight, we were good from the first whistle to the end," Cushing said.
"These games bring – it’s almost a playoff feel, right? It's win and continue and it's lose or go home. For guys like Santi Rodríguez and Maxi Moralez, when the lights come on, that really gets them going. You have to be a special kind of player to really relish and thrive in these moments."
"Absolute masterclass"
Moralez and Rodríguez were the centerpiece of Cushing's post-match praise, and deservedly so.
The two No. 10s were outstanding, ensuring New York City took and maintained control of the ball throughout much of the match. Their partnership was rewarded with each scoring a goal.
"I think they enjoy playing together. I think they see the game the same way. I think they have a very extraordinary talent in the way that they can open teams up, and we played a top team tonight, played a team that across LIGA MX and MLS has set the standard for many years, whether it's Champions League, whether it's LIGA MX titles, one of the favorites for the competition," Cushing said.
"And I said before, we had to have our big players have big games today. And I was quietly confident that those two were going to turn up tonight. But I'll say again: It was an absolute masterclass from the two No. 10s that we played tonight."
From one giant to the next
NYCFC's celebration will surely be somewhat subdued because they visit the Columbus Crew in the quarterfinals on Saturday. The Crew also rallied, beating Inter Miami CF, 3-2, in a thrilling Round of 16 match Wednesday night.
The sides met once in the 2024 MLS regular season, with Columbus claiming a 3-2 win at Yankee Stadium on June 14. It was their first game back from losing the Concacaf Champions Cup final at Pachuca.
"They're setting the standard in MLS. They're MLS Cup holders. They're winning a lot of football games. I've seen Tata Martino’s presser before the game going into this round, and I agree with him. I think they're the best team in MLS. I think they're the best in low build-up. I think they control the ball the best. They have a front three that are really devastating," Cushing said.
"For us, it's about a journey. We want to be one of the best teams in MLS. We want to be a team that can go and play against the best and dominate the ball. ... I thought tonight we played from the first whistle right to the end, both sides of the ball. We're going to have to play the same performance against Columbus Crew. I have so much belief in this team, but it's about every opportunity, right? It's about the next moment."
