At Talen Energy Stadium, New York City FC faced off against Philadelphia Union in the Eastern Conference Semifinal and managed to clinch a hard-fought victory. Maximiliano Moralez scored the decisive goal for NYCFC in the 26th minute of the first half.
Philadelphia had an opportunity to take the lead early on when Nicolás Fernández Mercau unleashed a thunderous shot in the 14th minute that rebounded off the crossbar.
Throughout the match, Moralez stood out as the key player, not only scoring the lone goal but also making three attempts on goal.
Matthew Freese also played a vital role for NYCFC, making five crucial saves that kept his team in the game.
Philadelphia’s coach, Bradley Carnell, opted for a 4-4-2 formation, featuring Andre Blake in goal; Nathan Harriel, Jakob Glesnes, Olwethu Makhanya, and Kai Wagner in defense; Milan Iloski, Jovan Lukic, Danley Jean Jacques, and Indiana Vassilev in midfield; along with Tai Baribo and Bruno Damiani in attack.
On the other side, New York City FC, managed by Pascal Jansen, employed a 4-5-1 setup with Matthew Freese guarding the net; Tayvon Gray, Thiago Martins, Raul Gustavo, and Kevin O’Toole in defense; Jonathan Shore, Justin Haak, Agustín Ojeda, Maximiliano Moralez, and Hannes Wolf controlling midfield; and Nicolás Fernández Mercau leading the attack.
Referee Guido Gonzales Jr. oversaw the match at Talen Energy Stadium, where NYCFC’s victory keeps their championship hopes alive, propelling them into the Conference Final.
Philadelphia Union Substitutions
60’ 2T – Tai Baribo for Mikael Uhre, Andre Blake for Andrew Rick Jr., and Jovan Lukic for Francis Westfield.
68’ 2T – Indiana Vassilev for Jesús Bueno.
82’ 2T – Danley Jean Jacques for Cavan Sullivan.
Yellow Cards for Philadelphia Union:
32’ 1T Tai Baribo.
New York City FC Substitutions
77’ 2T – Hannes Wolf for Mitja Ilenic.
86’ 2T – Maximiliano Moralez for Strahinja Tanasijevic.
93’ 2T – Nicolás Fernández Mercau for Julián Fernández.
Yellow Cards for New York City FC:
31’ 1T Hannes Wolf, 34’ 1T Maximiliano Moralez (holding an opponent to prevent advancement), 31’ 2T Matthew Freese (delaying the game), and 40’ 2T Raul Gustavo (delaying the game).