Goalkeeper Sean Johnson made the difference in the shootout, and New York City FC defeated the Portland Timbers to win the MLS Cup on Saturday.
It was Alex Callens’ goal in a tiebreaker that tipped the scales in favor of the NYCFC. This is a first title for the New York franchise. Due to a lingering 1-1 tie after extra time, the championship had to be decided in a shootout. An event won 4-2 by the NYCFC.
MLS Golden Boot recipient Valentin “Taty” Castellanos scored the game’s first goal in the first half. The NYCFC then seemed to be heading for a coronation, but Felipe Mora decided otherwise by drawing the tie during the time added by the referee late in the game.
In shootout, goalkeeper Johnson was brilliant stopping two shooters, Mora and Diego Valeri. Fittingly, it was Johnson who was named MVP of the final.
“What a crazy adventure we experienced this year! There have been so many ups and downs, commented the hero of the day after the game. We talked to each other before the game and we thought we just had a huge chance to make it all worth it. And that is what we live for, these moments. “
Commenting on his selection as the final MVP, Johnson added: “It’s something huge, but at the same time, it’s even bigger to be able to lift this cup with this club. “
As soon as the NYCFC players saw Callens’ shot go into the net, they flocked to him in celebration. In the opposing camp, Valeri, who had just been frustrated by Johnson, looked stunned.
A group of NYCFC players soon broke away from the festivities to greet their supporters who had made the trip and were gathered in the opposite corner of the stadium.
The players stayed on the pitch long after the game was over. Head coach Ronny Delia stripped to lift the cup in his underwear as the players drank champagne.
“I don’t regret doing it, it was a great moment,” said Delia. I will continue to do so if we continue to win cups! “
Since arriving in MLS in 2015, the NYCFC had never reached the grand finale.
Castellanos, who had 19 goals in the regular season, was back on the starting XI after missing the association final game against the Philadelphia Union. The Argentina forward was under suspension after receiving a red card in the semi-finals against the favorites, the New England Revolution. The NYCFC also won the shootout.
The NYCFC wins the MLS Cup after entering the playoffs as fourth in the Eastern Conference by a 14-9-11 regular season record.
For their part, the Timbers were also fourth in the Western Association with a 17-13-4 record in the regular season. During their playoff run, the Timbers showed the favorites the Colorado Rapids the way out, then dealt the same fate to Real Salt Lake before falling to New York.
The Timbers won the MLS Cup in 2015 and also lost in the final to Atlanta in 2018.
“It’s cruel, you feel bitter, it’s hard to accept,” said Timbers head coach Giovanni Savarese.
While he recognizes that you have to learn in defeat, Savarese stresses that before you can learn any lesson, you have to go through the emotional process. That is, the pain of failing in the quest for a goal that was to lift the cup in front of the Portland fans.
“We couldn’t have imagined a better scenario for us than lifting the cup. So, the first thing to do is deal with our emotions and realize that it didn’t go as planned. Sport can be very cruel, ”he shared.