Toronto FC entered Saturday night’s road game against New York City FC as the only Major League Soccer team not to allow a goal this season, keeping three clean sheets.
That bubble burst in the 24th minute with a magnificent goal from a free kick by Santiago Rodríguez. NYCFC added the go-ahead score midway through the second half on a Kevin O’Toole header to win their first game of the season, 2-1, at Yankee Stadium.
A change of fortune was not in the cards early for New York, which allowed a 7th-minute goal to Toronto’s Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty in a play plagued by defensive errors.
NYCFC were desperate for a win, as one of three MLS teams began the weekend without a point, with the team’s head coach Nick Cushing firmly in the hot seat, taking a lot of pressure from fans to achieve results quickly .
After the win, Cushing spoke directly about those job security rumors and said how important the team’s fan base was to him. Before the game, NYCFC fans closed off part of River Avenue with a large crowd, chanting and waiting for the losing streak to end.
New York City FC was looking for its first win of the season on Saturday night against Toronto FC
A free kick goal by Santiago Rodríguez was the first goal Toronto gave up this season.
“Everyone here wants to win for everyone and that’s special,” Cushing said. ‘That’s the spirit of New York. When we don’t get points, I will accept criticism as a leader. I said last week, I will always mention it. I will always talk to the fans. “I will always give my clarity and opinion on why I think we are not winning.”
“And the day I don’t think I can provide for you, I promise you I won’t be here,” Cushing added. ‘Not because I don’t want to be here, but because this means more than anything else to me. “I’ve been in this organization for 18 seasons and every team and every person within it is very close to me.”
‘All the fans are the most important people. So I will never question them,” Cushing continued. “What I will do is continue to work every day, incredibly hard, no matter how I feel, positive or negative, to make sure the team is prepared for the next game.”
The groans were loud at Yankee Stadium for Marshall-Rutty’s goal, with the memory of last week’s stoppage-time loss to Portland firmly etched in every fan’s memory.
Cushing found being on the wrong end of a 97th-minute game-winner and losing by a goal in less than 10 minutes liberating, as his squad can play with “nothing to lose.”
‘I would love to score the first three goals and at half-time I can sit and have a coffee. But it wasn’t going to be today,” Cushing said of the early delay.
“But the strength of character and spirit of the group to just absorb that pressure and that blow and keep going is… I’m proud of the reaction the players showed this week.” “I’m even more proud of the reaction they showed after losing 1-nil,” Cushing continued.
Rodriguez’s free kick from about 25 yards from goal slid into the top left corner, freezing Toronto FC goalkeeper Luka Garvan for the equalizer.
TFC’s regular starting goalkeeper, Sean Johnson of the US men’s national team, will be out for a few weeks with a hamstring injury.
Johnson may not have had any chance of stopping Rodríguez’s goal either.
Garvan stepped up when needed over the next few minutes, especially on a Keaton Parks chance in first-half stoppage time, which he saved from close range.
NYCFC took the lead in the 64th minute when Kevin O’Toole’s header hit the crossbar over Garvan’s outstretched hands before crossing the goal line.
Kevin O’Toole scored the winning goal in the second half with a header over Toronto FC.
Julián Fernández set up the goal with an assist, flicking the ball towards the goal with the outside of his left foot and the ball found O’Toole calmly.
The victory was not easy for NYCFC after taking the lead, as they played with 10 men for a long stretch until the match ended with Parks being sent off with a straight red card in the 68th minute.
However, after the final whistle, the sigh of relief from the players and fans was palpable.
After the three points were secured and handshakes were held with the Toronto squad, the NYCFC squad charged to the left field stands, where the team’s loudest contingent of fans were placed to a raucous ovation.
“I needed it, the team definitely needed it,” NYCFC midfielder James Sands said. “Any time you can win the first game of the season in those circumstances, it’s a big boost for everyone. I think the whole club really needed it.”
NYCFC returns to action next weekend on the road against FC Cincinnati, while Toronto returns home to face Atlanta United.