NYCFC played a long game to reach the MLS Cup

PORTLAND, Ore. – The Road, New York City Football Club executives have said from the earliest days of their team, it’s always been here to lead, to the big moments, to the final, to the big moments. title. They know it probably doesn’t need too much drama, but this is always the plan.

Victory came in tension and in the cold rain on Saturday, as NYCFC overcame hosts Portland Timbers, 4-2, in a penalty shootout after the two teams drew 1-1 to claim the Ballon d’Or first professional stone. The one-day limited shootout where New York City FC appeared to have won the MLS Cup in normal time, only to surrender a goal at the last second that forced extra time and, at least in brief, making it feel as if the team moment had slipped from its grasp.

However, keeping their cool for two extra periods, NYCFC ensured that their fun would only be delayed, not denied. Three successful penalties in four penalty shootouts, and then two saves by goalkeeper Sean Johnson, set the stage for defender Alex Callens to complete the task.

“Nobody said it would be easy,” said Johnson, who has been named the game’s most valuable player. “It’s difficult, but it’s the way to go to win the championship.”

NYCFC coach Ronny Deila noted the number of young players on his team and praised them for coming back from a difficult end-of-season period in which they had just one win in 10 games.

“We knew that when we got it right, it was going to be very difficult for us to compete,” he said.

Those who have not paid attention to New York City FC’s roster development over the past few years may not have seen the team’s plans quite clearly before, and so they may be surprised considering the squad’s lineup. team backed by Manchester City ahead of the MLS Cup final. There’s no more Andrea Pirlos, no more Frank Lampards, no more David Villas in NYCFC’s squad – the European import that gave the team a flash in the early years of its existence.

Instead, the race to the team’s first title was led by two relatively unannounced Argentina players: Maxi Moralez, a 34-year-old midfielder. ever won the youth World Cup alongside brighter lights like Sergio Agüero and Ángel Di María, and striker Valentín Castellanos, the top scorer in the MLS this season.

They combined to create the first goal of the final, a free-kick from Moralez that landed precisely on Castellanos’ forehead behind the post in the 41st minute.

Four minutes of injury time, and when the final whistle blew, that goal seemed to be enough to take home the title for NYCFC.

But a late cross, a scramble for goal, a saved shot and then a rebound provided a lifeline for Portland in the form of Felipe Mora’s goal that rejuvenated the Timbers and the 25,218. sold out.

The players of New York City FC realized that New York City’s journey would have to go further. But Johnson saved Portland’s first two penalties, and that proved to be enough.

This year’s version of NYCFC reaching the finals is not a long-awaited breakthrough for the team’s ownership group and more than a much-anticipated step on a long, intrigued road. comb.

However, a change in squad strategy since the team’s first season in 2015 – an overhaul that parallels the league’s recent shift towards developing young talent rather than importing it. of established stars – not the result of sudden enlightenment, however.

On Friday, a top group executive said the plan was complete.

Ferran Soriano, chief executive officer of City Football Group, which has a growing network of football clubs around the world: “We are here for the long term, not only including Manchester City of the Premier League and NYCFC but also nine other teams in 11 countries. “And the long term is not five years. It’s not 10. It’s 50.”

“We are very happy to be in the final – very happy,” Soriano added before the final. “It is symbolic of what we have achieved. But in reality, the work is steady year after year.”

That is not always obvious in the results. Despite making it to the knockouts in five of its first six seasons, NYCFC has only won a single playoff during those trips. It won twice as many post-season games in 2021 (four) than the first six seasons combined (two).

Soriano admits that the original NYCFC teams already hamper on the pitch by their top constructions, which saw cheaper players fill the list alongside multimillion-dollar stars like Villa, Lampard and Pirlo. That leads to frequent disappointments, as in-season successes are frequently followed by quick departures after the season.

Soon, however, team executives were working within the MLS roster and salary rules to put in place smart contracts like Moralez and put City Football Group resources to work. act in more positive, effective ways.

For example, 23-year-old Castellanos, joined as a teenager in 2018 loan from Uruguayan club Torque, also owned by City Football Group, and subsequently signed a long-term contract to stay in New York. For Castellanos, the move represents a step up the CFG ladder – a de facto ranking of tournaments the team has created using data and analytics. (The Premier League is at its peak, Soriano said, with MLS somewhere in the middle, “a little bit higher than Japan.”)

The system of affiliated clubs is not without contradictions. Castellanos’ manager at Torque was opposed to the transfer, Soriano said, and the Uruguay squad has struggled following his departure – a fate may well befall NYCFC, If and when Ownership decided it was time for their newest star to move on.

But the system also requires patience from a section of fans who don’t always understand the needs of popular and important players like Jack Harrison, currently Leeds United; Yangel Herrera, who left New York for La Liga in Spain; and is different to move to a higher level of development than MLS

“This is a long game for City Football Group,” said MLS Commissioner Don Garber. “They are thinking about their investment in Major League Soccer in a generational timeframe.”

In the beginning, that meant spending on star power could draw attention to the newest City-owned club. But it also means investing in an academy that helps produce stars like Gio Reyna and Joe Scally, and in the belief that the constant flurry of talent will yield a roster of over five years of talent. year after year.

“The way we measure the work that we do every day is what we do in the regular season,” Soriano said. “It’s a good measure of what we do. Then we go to the knockout round and maybe you get lucky. But if you go to the playoffs regularly, one day you will win.”