NYCFC holds on for a 5-4 win over TFC in a wild New York City shoot-out

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They say if you can make it in New York, you can make it anywhere. On Sunday at Citi Field, Toronto FC didn’t make it.

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It was another shoot-out in NYC, a wild and crazy match between TFC and host New York City FC with the Reds scoring two goals in the final four minutes of regulation play to pull within one goal. But, in the end, defending MLS Cup champions NYCFC held on for a 5-4 victory.

The loss snapped a three-game winning streak for TFC.

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“They’re a good team,” said TFC midfielder Jonathan Osorio, who appeared in his 300th game for the Reds, the most by any Toronto player. “They adjusted and they pushed and they found their way back (after going down two goals). But I’m really proud of the way our team fought back. It was just too big of a mountain to climb.

“We know that we can improve. We know that we have levels to reach that we haven’t reached yet,” he added. “It’s a tough loss, but we’ll learn from it and I think as the season goes you’ll see this team become much more consistent.”

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Toronto jumped out to a 2-0 lead early in the first half with a brace by Jesus Jimenez, who now has six goals in eight games since joining TFC this season from Polish club Górnik Zabrze. He shares the MLS lead in goals, tied with Sebastian Driussi of Austin FC. Rookie Kosi Thompson picked up assists on boht markers.

But then the host Blues scored five straight and a held a three-goal lead until late in the match.

Toronto rookie Deandre Kerr and veteran Michael Bradley scored for Toronto as the clock wound down to make things interesting. The equalizer, however, couldn’t be found and TFC now has three wins, three losses and two draws on the season.

Despite the gutsy TFC comeback, it was New York that dominated the match statistically. The home side held a 58% to 42% edge in possession and fired 22 shots to eight by the Reds. NYCFC directed 11 shots on goal to five by Toronto.

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For Osorio, his 300th appearance was bitter sweet. He picked up a nice assist on Jimenez’s first goal, but the Brampton native was pulled out of the game in the 60th minute by coach Bob Bradley after the New Yorkers scored their fourth. Bradley was no doubt thinking about the next game as Osorio hurt his thigh a week ago and already had been questionable for the New York match.

“I think right now, in this moment, it’s a little bit tough because I’m more focused on the game and the result,” Osorio said when asked about his milestone. “It’s been great here (in Toronto) and to reach 300 games for this club is an honour. But right now it’s tough. Maybe some time down the road I’ll be able to reflect and really be proud of what I’ve accomplished.”

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After taking a 2-0 lead in the first half, the Reds were soon overwhelmed by the potent and creative New York offense. The Blues mounted attack after attack and could have scored more if not for a number of missed chances and good saves by TFC goalkeeper Alex Bono.

After Jimenez scored twice in the first half, New York star Valentín Castellanos pulled the hosts to within one. NYCFC then scored four in the second half, two by Thiago Andrade and singles by Santiago Rodríguez and Gabriel Pereira.

But then TFC staged the comeback that fell just short. Kerr, a second-half substitute, scored his first MLS goal in the 84th minute via a header from a corner kick to make the game 5-3.

New York defender Alfredo Morales then picked up his second yellow card in the 89th minute and was banished to the locker room, putting the hosts down a man and giving the Reds a fighting chance. On the subsequent free kick by Alejandro Pozuelo, Michael Bradley headed the ball into the goal to pull Toronto to within one. But that was all she wrote.

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The Reds were without fullback Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty, forward Ayo Akinola and midfielders Ralph Priso and Noble Okello because of injuries while forward Jayden Nelson was on a red-card suspension.

Jimenez’s first goal, in the 13th minute, started with a nice give-and-go between Osorio and Thompson after a long pass up the field by Carlos Salcedo. Osorio received the ball from Thompson and found Jimenez in the box and the Spaniard right-footed it into the bottom right corner, off the post and in. Both Thompson and Osorio were given assists.

Bonus made a huge save in the 24th minute when he slid out of his goal to deflect a Santiago Rodríguez shot over the goal. The veteran TFC’ keeper made six saves in the game and leads MLS in saves with 36, tied with Zac MacMath of Real Salt Lake.

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Jimenez’s second goal came in the 27th minute, when he was fed a brilliant through ball up the field by Thompson. Jimenez picked up the pass to the right side of NYCFC’ keeper Sean Johnson, stepped right and then chipped the ball over the ‘keeper.

Bono made two more excellent saves minutes after Jimenez’s second goal including one off the ever-dangerous Castellanos.

A goal by Castellanos did seem inevitable, however, as the Argentine forward created and missed a number of good scoring chances.

And then it happened in the 38th minute. Castellanos scored on a sliding right footed shot from the center of the box to the center of the goal after picking up a nice feed from Andrade, making the score 2-1 and starting the NYCFC onslaught which resulted in a one-goal victory for the homeside.