NYCFC reached the quarterfinals of the Open Cup for the first time thanks to victories over North Carolina FC and D.C. United and made a second trip to the Orlando in 2019, following the MLS opening day draw.
Dome Torrent welcomed Héber back to the starting XI after the Brazilian’s hamstring injury, while Jesus Medina and Juan Pablo Torres also came back into the lineup.
Coming into this one on the back of Sunday’s 1-0 defeat to the Portland Timbers, NYCFC’s motivation to reach the semifinals of the U.S. Open Cup was evident from the first whistle.
After some early pressure from the Boys in Blue, it was Maxime Chanot who had the game’s first good opportunity with a header from a corner but Adam Grinwis made an incredible save to keep it out and Jesus Medina nodded the rebound over the crossbar.
City kept their foot to the floor but were unable to take advantage of some promising openings and Chris Mueller almost struck for the home team when his deflected strike wrongfooted Brad Stuver but whistled past the post.
From there, the Lions grew into the game and finished the first half the stronger of the two teams but NYC’s defense was solid and withstood the increased pressure they faced.
Newly-crowned June MLS Player of the Month Maxi Moralez almost sent his side in with a goal on the stroke of halftime but his shot from range just cleared the bar.
The game picked up where it left off after the break with the road team facing up to more Orlando pressure, with a Nani set-piece pinballing around the area before City could eventually clear.
Finally, the hosts did breakthrough when Nani’s cross found Mueller’s head on 62’ and Brad Stuver was beaten.
Dome’s reaction was immediate. With Torres forced off with an injury, Torrent changed the system to something resembling a 4-2-3-1, Bringing Keaton Parks into the midfield alongside Alex Ring and Ebenezer Ofori.
Taty Castellanos was next to enter the fray on 73’ as Héber was withdrawn on his return. After a hydration break and some final instructions from the Head Coach, City had 15 minutes remaining to keep their cup dreams alive.
Anton Tinnerholm was the final introduction from the bench and the Swede was closest to equalizing with one minute of regulation time remaining, but his header just cleared the crossbar and it looked like NYCFC had run out of time.
Step forward Maxi, who swept home from close range in the very last minute of injury-time to force wild celebrations and an extra 30 minutes.
Justin Haak came into the game as the additional substitute in the second half of extra time but it was Castellanos who almost secured City’s place in the last four with a curling effort which looked bound for the top corner until it was once again brilliantly saved by the home ‘keeper.
The teams couldn’t be separated in normal time so we went to penalties where Orlando took it in sudden death after Maxime Chanot saw his effort saved by Grinwis.
Other news - Focus
Other news
- 14:00 Mario Balotelli to MLS? Alessio Sundas Pushes for NYCFC Move in Bold Career Revival Bid
- 12:00 Etihad Player of the Month | Thiago Martins Scoops May Award
- 10:00 Italian Agent Alessio Sundas Aims to Revolutionize MLS with European Talent
- 08:06 Eight City Players Called Up for International Duty in June
- 12:30 Alessio Sundas Eyes MLS Revolution: After Balotelli, Gattuso Could Be Next
- 01:09 Hannes Wolf’s Late Heroics Rescue 2-2 Draw for NYCFC in Thrilling Comeback Against Nashville SC
- 19:00 NYCFC Aim to Reset vs. Nashville: “Time to Show Consistency” Says Jansen
- 18:00 Jansen Eyes Strong Start vs. Nashville: “Scoring First Changes Everything”
- 17:00 NYCFC Aim to Bounce Back Against Nashville SC: Jansen Calls for a Return to Identity
- 16:44 Mario Balotelli Eyes MLS Move: A New American Dream in the Works?
- 06:00 Injury Woes for NYCFC Ahead of Houston Clash: Four Key Players Ruled Out
- 04:00 Jansen Stresses Training Ground Mentality as Key to NYCFC Lineup Choices
- 02:00 NYCFC Gets Injury Boost as Keaton Parks Returns, but Caution Remains for Key Players
- 23:00 Jansen’s NYCFC Looks to Build Momentum With Big Night Under the Lights
- 22:20 Seymour Reid Signs Homegrown Deal With NYCFC – A Star in the Making Joins the First Team
- 14:00 Can NYCFC Ride the Momentum? Quick Turnaround Offers Opportunity Against Houston
- 12:00 NYCFC Extends Unbeaten Streak vs. Chicago Fire with Another Statement Win
- 09:51 Mounsef Bakrar Silences Doubts with Crucial Goal in NYCFC Comeback
- 16:00 NYCFC eye momentum: a pivotal home clash to spark an eastern conference climb
- 14:00 Chaos vs. Control: NYCFC and Chicago Fire Set for Explosive Showdown at Yankee Stadium
- 12:00 NYCFC vs. Chicago Fire: Can the Boys in Blue End Chicago’s Scorching Run at Yankee Stadium?
- 10:54 NYCFC vs. Chicago Fire: Key Absences for Jansen’s Side Ahead of Crucial MLS Clash
- 16:00 NYCFC Trio Named to Preliminary Gold Cup Rosters Ahead of Summer Tournament
- 14:00 NYCFC’s Push for Consistency Could Unlock Top-Four Potential in the East
- 03:00 Donald Trump Reacts to NYCFC's New $780M Stadium in Queens During UAE Visit
- 00:01 Why NYCFC Should Start Managing Maxi Moralez’s Minutes More Carefully
- 22:51 NYCFC Extends James Sands’ Loan to FC St. Pauli Through 2026
- 22:49 Why Pascal Jansen Should Consider Resting Maxi Moralez More Often at NYCFC
- 03:00 Jansen Praises Etihad Player of the Month Keaton Parks: “A Key Piece in Our Midfield”
- 01:00 NYCFC Brace for Cincinnati Clash: Jansen Outlines Plan to Stop Evander
- 23:20 NYCFC Hit with Injury Setbacks Ahead of Cincinnati Clash
- 22:53 Pascal Jansen Ready for Packed May Schedule: “This Is What You Live For”
- 19:00 Jansen Calls for Sharpness After NYCFC's 2-0 Defeat: "We Weren’t Good Enough in the Final Third"
- 18:00 MLS 2025: Market Giants Revealed – Messi and Puig Lead the Pack
- 16:00 NYCFC’s Road Form Is a Disaster. And No One Seems to Have an Answer
- 15:28 NYCFC’s Road Struggles Continue in 2-0 Loss to New England, Pascal Jansen: "The Quality Wasn’t There"
- 15:21 NYCFC Fall to New England for First Time Since 2022: "We Need to Be Better," Says Thiago Martins
- 15:08 Inter Miami Edge Columbus Crew 1-0 as Messi and Co. Shine in Front of 60,000 Fans
- 15:06 NYCFC Signs Forward Zidane Yañez to Short-Term Agreement Amid Rising Trajectory
- 15:05 NYCFC Fall 2-0 to New England Revolution Despite Late Push
- 16:00 Set-Piece Specialists: NYCFC Must Stay Sharp as Revolution Rely on Dead Ball Magic
- 14:00 NYCFC Return to Familiar Foe: Round Two Against Revs Promises Another Fight
- 08:45 NYCFC Aim to Turn the Corner: Road Test at New England Offers Momentum Check
- 15:00 Jansen Challenges NYCFC to Turn Control into Goals: “We Need to Do More with the Ball”
- 08:10 Jansen Rallies NYCFC Ahead of Union Clash: “No Excuses—We Perform, No Matter What”
- 14:19 NYCFC to Host Minnesota United Without Four Key Players
- 13:18 Pascal Jansen Emphasizes Control and Resilience Ahead of NYCFC Clash with Minnesota United
- 14:00 NYCFC Aims for Back-to-Back Wins Against Struggling Revolution
- 12:00 NYCFC vs. New England Revolution: Match Preview & Player Availability
- 10:42 NYCFC Prepares for Milestone Match Against New England Revolution at Yankee Stadium