In a thrilling match on Friday, New York City FC emerged victorious with a solid 3-1 win over Charlotte FC, largely thanks to a stellar performance by Nicolás Fernández Mercau, who netted twice. The match took place at the Bank of America Stadium, with NYCFC asserting their dominance in the playoffs.
Fernández Mercau opened the scoring just before halftime at the 46-minute mark, striking a brilliant shot into the top right corner of the net. He followed up his impressive display with another goal at the 55-minute mark in the second half. Alonso Martínez contributed to the scoring as well, finding the back of the net shortly after the break, making it 3-1 for NYCFC. Charlotte FC’s only response came from Idan Toklomati, who scored in the 35th minute.
Fernández Mercau’s exceptional performance included not only his two goals but also five attempts on target, earning him the title of man of the match. Defensively, Thiago Martins was crucial for NYCFC, making 12 significant clearances to keep Charlotte at bay.
Charlotte FC, helmed by coach Dean Smith, set up in a 4-3-3 formation with Kristijan Kahlina in goal, and defenders Nathan Byrne, Tim Ream, Adilson Malanda, and Harry Toffolo. The midfield featured Djibril Diani, Ashley Westwood, and Brandt Bronico, while the attack was led by Kerwin Vargas, Idan Toklomati, and Wilfried Zaha.
Conversely, NYCFC, managed by Pascal Jansen, lined up in a 5-4-1 formation. Matthew Freese guarded the goal, supported by a defensive line consisting of Hannes Wolf, Tayvon Gray, Justin Haak, Thiago Martins, and Kevin O’Toole. The midfield was anchored by Maximiliano Moralez, Aiden O’Neill, Andrés Perea, and Nicolás Fernández Mercau, with Alonso Martínez in the forward position.
The referee for the match was Pierre Lauziere.
Substitutions for Charlotte FC
60’ 2T – Brandt Bronico was substituted for Archie Goodwin
77’ 2T – Kerwin Vargas was substituted for Liel Abada
Yellow Cards for Charlotte FC:
42’ 2T – Archie Goodwin (Holding an opponent to prevent advancement)
46’ 2T – Tim Ream (Holding an opponent to prevent advancement)
Substitutions for New York City FC
101’ 2T – Nicolás Fernández Mercau was substituted for Strahinja Tanasijevic
74’ 2T – Andrés Perea was substituted for Raul Gustavo
88’ 2T – Alonso Martínez was substituted for Agustín Ojeda
89’ 2T – Maximiliano Moralez was substituted for Julián Fernández
Yellow Cards for New York City FC:
21’ 2T – Andrés Perea (Holding an opponent to prevent advancement),
22’ 2T – Aiden O’Neill (Unsporting behavior),
46’ 2T – Nicolás Fernández Mercau (Delaying the game)