Frisco, Texas — Marking Nick Cushing’s second win in a row, NYCFC squeeze out a 1-0 win over FC Dallas on the road despite missing three key players in Alexander Callens, Maxi Moralez and Taty Castellanos.
NYCFC grab an early, first-half advantage
A slow start to the match led to NYCFC finding the first opportunity on goal in the 29th minute as Tayvon Gray won possession off a long ball from Sean Johnson and touched it down to Santiago Rodríguez. With Dallas’ José Martínez rushing for a challenge, Rodríguez played a heavy first touch into space and chase down the ball now inside the box. As Dallas defenders collapsed, Rodríguez slid a pass across the face of goal to Héber just out of Maarten Paes’ reach for a simple finish to put the Pigeons up 1-0.
That man H9 🔙 on the spot for the lead 💫 #VamosNYC pic.twitter.com/FXYAim11Fx
— New York City Football Club (@NYCFC) July 14, 2022
Dallas answered with a chance of their own as the 37th minute struck with the ball bouncing around in traffic and eventually working its way to Nanu on the right wing. With one touch and a darted cross from the Bissau-Guinean, he’d pick out Franco Jara for a header that was just knocked away by NYCFC’s Maxime Chanot.
NYCFC rounded out the first half with one last opportunity in the 45th minute plus added time, featuring Talles Magno leading the attack as he dribbled through three Dallas defenders just outside the box. With a simple layoff pass from Magno finding Nicolás Acevedo open and in space, he fired a shot from distance that maybe took a slight deflection from Edwin Cerrillo before just gliding wide of the post to end the half.
Dallas creates chances but fails to find the draw
Coming out of halftime on the offensive saw FC Dallas developing their first real opportunity in the 51st minute thanks to a turnover from Justin Haak which left Sean Johnson and NYCFC’s defense heavily exposed. As Jesus Ferreira picked off a poor back pass from Haak and evaded a lunging tackle from Alfredo Morales, he found himself one-on-one with Sean Johnson but instead of taking the shot, opted for a pass across to Jara. With Ferreira’s split-second indecisiveness giving Thiago Martins enough time to recover, the Brazillian knocked the ball away from danger to maintain a 1-0 lead.
It wouldn’t take long for Dallas to force another chance as substitute Paxton Pomykal dribbled into space in the 70th minute and played a pass to Jara rushing down the right wing. As NYCFC’s defensive line slowly retreated, a cross from Jara found Ferreira in the smallest pocket of space for a header that was brilliantly saved by Johnson.
SEAN JOHNSON 🥵 pic.twitter.com/WBifVFudZF
— New York City Football Club (@NYCFC) July 14, 2022
The last opportunity of the match fell for Dallas with Ferreira continuing to lead the attack by playing a short corner to Pomykal before demanding the ball back and dribbling into space on the right wing. Managing a quick, low-hit ball just above the outstretched leg of Morales, Ferreira found Martinez breaking at the near post just in front of NYCFC’s defense. But with a tough angle on goal, all Martinez could do was find the side netting as the final whistle sounded shortly after giving NYCFC the 1-0 win.
Last Word: NYCFC squeeze out a road win despite strong offensive opposition in Dallas
Nick Cushing continues to roll as NYCFC manage a second consecutive win stealing three points on the road from FC Dallas in a matchup that ultimately felt more deserving of a draw. Twelve shots total from Nico Estévez’s squad while the Pigeons put up just four as Dallas struggled to find the net in spite of some major opportunities.
Injuries might be a problem for NYCFC heading into this weekend’s New York Derby as Maxi Moralez and Alexander Callens will be questionable but fans can take solace in the defensive performance of Maxime Chanot who earned a spot in the MLS Team of the Week. With Taty’s return following Yellow Card accumulation and the defensive line looking stronger each week, NYCFC and Nick Cushing might make some noise at RBA on Sunday in a battle for Eastern Conference supremacy.
5️⃣ goals in his last 4️⃣ starts for our 9️⃣ #VamosNYC pic.twitter.com/2o92PefcTB
— New York City Football Club (@NYCFC) July 14, 2022
