New York City FC Lose At Home To Minnesota
New York City FC battled hard but fell 2-1 to Minnesota United at Yankee Stadium. After conceding twice in the first half, City responded with sustained pressure and near misses, including a penalty from Alonso Martínez that struck the crossbar. Their persistence was rewarded in the second half with a goal from Keaton Parks, but it wasn’t enough to draw level.
New York City FC 1 Minnesota Utd 2
Report by NYCFC.com
A springtime Sunday afternoon set the stage for New York City FC’s home game against Minnesota United. City looked to bounce back from their loss to Atlanta United, while the Loons aimed to extend their five-match unbeaten run.
Head Coach Pascal Jansen made one change to the lineup, bringing in Birk Risa for Jonathan Shore.
First Half
City suffered an early setback when Tani Oluwaseyi gave Minnesota the lead inside the opening minute, after Joaquín Pereyra picked him out in space.
Moments later, Maxi Moralez delivered a deep cross that was cleared only as far as Hannes Wolf. The Austrian struck a bouncing volley that deflected off a Minnesota defender and out for a corner.
City nearly equalized in the 18th minute when Keaton Parks slid a low pass to Julián Fernández in the box. The winger got a shot off, but it was blocked.
Despite the pressure, Minnesota doubled their advantage in the 29th minute. Will Trapp received a rolled free kick on the edge of the box and side-footed it through a crowd and into the net.
Matt Freese was tested again shortly after, reacting quickly to deny Kelvin Yeboah’s effort from just inside the area following a quick counterattack.
In the 40th minute, Jansen responded with a double substitution, introducing Mounsef Bakrar and Strahinja Tanasijević in place of Fernández and Risa.
City’s renewed pressure paid off in first-half stoppage time when Alonso Martínez earned a penalty after being brought down in the area. He stepped up to take it himself, but his effort crashed against the crossbar.
Second Half
Jansen’s side started the second half well, and Bakrar nearly found the net in the 57th minute from close range.
City’s third substitution of the day followed shortly after, with Agustín Ojeda replacing Mitja Ilenič. He was joined on the field by Shore in the 66th minute, coming on for Justin Haak.
Minnesota, for their part, remained a dogged defensive unit, offering little space in the final third for City to operate. Still dangerous on the break, the pace and movement of Yeboah and Oluwaseyi kept Thiago Martins and Tanasijević on high alert.
City came close again in the 69th minute, when Ojeda’s curling effort from the left flashed just over the crossbar.
The home side kept pressing, with Maxi Moralez firing narrowly over from distance in the 71st minute. Moments later, Martínez unleashed a snap shot inside the area, but Dayne St. Clair was equal to it.
City came agonizingly close in the 81st minute after Bakrar played Wolf through on goal, but the Austrian skewed his shot high and wide from a tight angle.
Minnesota’s frantic defending continued to frustrate City, but the hosts remained relentless as the clock ticked toward the 90-minute mark.
Their persistence was finally rewarded in the 89th minute, when a strike from Martínez was parried into the path of Parks, who calmly slotted home the rebound.
Unfortunately, that proved to be City’s final notable chance, as they were forced to settle for a 2-1 defeat at home.