New York City FC had the lead against Toronto FC, but then gave it up, thus leading to a 2-2 draw.
After a draw against Chicago Fire FC midweek, New York City FC traveled to Canada on Saturday for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020. Going into the fixture, the Pigeons’ opposition, Toronto FC, sat in second to last place in the Eastern Conference. But as seen in the match in Chicago, anything can happen, and where a team is in the standings does not matter when the whistle blows and the clock starts.
In the past, Toronto has been a difficult side for NYCFC. And of course, the last time the two met, the match ended in a controversial 1-1 draw. This time, the game ended in a 2-2 draw, and this draw was devastating for the Bronx side. The team was up 2-0 after the first half, but found themselves turning a page in the second half, but not for the better. This match was clearly a story of two halves, and NYCFC ended up on the wrong side of the story.
Despite the result, this feisty battle between the two was full of entertainment. There were goals, pushing and shoving, some fantastic acting on the ground, and then most importantly, incredible chemistry and teamwork from NYCFC. Yes, they gave up the two goals, and were laboring in the second half, but they pulled themselves together to keep the point. Although, the three points were in their hands, but the Pigeons lapse to allow Toronto to level makes this draw disappointing.
The first half
In the first half, New York City FC were unstoppable. They had over 57% of the possession, and led with 12 shots and four on goal. The entire team played with ease and confidence. Additionally, the passing was spot on, and the Pigeons moved fluidly up and down the pitch.
While the entire team played extremely well, there was one who took his opportunity on the pitch to prove he is another option for the Starting XI. Santiago Rodríguez made his first start for NYCFC, and played like his life depended on it. He was all over the midfield wreaking havoc on Toronto, and notably on the defense. His performance and work in the attacking third led to his second goal of the season in the 12th minute.
The Pigeons had a spell of possession in the attacking third. They were passing the ball really well, and these passes led to the first goal. The second Thiago received the ball, he saw an opportunity to pass to Valentín Castellanos. With one touch, he passed the ball to the Argentine, who then also with just one touch, flicked the ball to Rodríguez. Then, again, with just one touch, Rodríguez shot the ball right into the back of the net. This team goal put NYCFC up on top, and then Ismael Tajouri-Shradi added a second later on.
Meanwhile, Castellanos had a great performance too, regardless of not registering a goal. He had two assists in the first half, and then five shots, with two on target. The forward consistently attacked toward goal, and when the Pigeons were fighting to regain possession, pressured the Canadian side’s defense. Plus, Castellanos even had some of his own defensive moments, including a clearance during a Toronto attacking spell in the first half.
When the whistle blew for halftime, New York City FC were in control of the game, and were on their way to win. Toronto was shaky, and had a lack of confidence, so what happened in the second half was shocking.
The second half
In the second half, Toronto came out of the locker room, and were a completely different team. It did not matter whether it was the two changes that were made, or a halftime speech. They controlled the pace of play, and turned their attacking boots on. Within ten minutes, New York City FC went from being up 2-0, to being tied 2-2. Not only did Toronto play oppositely compared to the first half, but the Pigeons did as well.
Also, in those first ten to fifteen minutes, NYCFC turned off defensively, and were shocked with disbelief after their opponents tied the game. The players struggled to find their way back into the match, and had difficulty regaining possession. The passing accuracy declined, and they were extremely shaky. Maybe the Pigeons were over-confident and thought they had the game in hand. Maybe they came out and just turned off. Nonetheless, two goals were given up, and that should not have happened after their first half performance.
Following their poor start, Ronny Deila did make two sets of changes, and slowly but surely the team crawled back into the game. Still, the second half of the last 45 minutes was more of an even battle. Both sides had chances, but unfortunately NYCFC could not get the third goal. After having 12 shots in the first half, the team just had three shots in the second. Castellanos, who was strong throughout the entire match, had two of those three shots, and registered the only shot on target in that latter half.
Some may argue it was positive that NYCFC regained their composure, and still managed to hold onto a point. But the problem is that two goals were easily given up after the Pigeons played one of their best 45 minutes of the season. Yet, this is a 90 minute fixture, and Toronto improved enough to level the match, and NYCFC turned off for about 20 minutes, which is something that cannot happen.
In all seriousness, this can never happen again this season. New York City FC could have ended their two-match road trip with four points, but now return home with just two. This result was disappointing; there is just no other way to describe it.