Toronto FC 0-1 NYCFC - Match Recap

Head Coach Ronny Deila brought Taty Castellanos and Maxime Chanot back into his lineup after the pair served one-match suspensions for yellow card accumulation over the weekend.

City got the job done on that occasion, ousting the Montreal Impact 3-1 at Yankee Stadium, but this time NYC were facing off against a familiar foe who had inflicted defeat on them twice already in 2020. 

Returning to East Hartford, the temporary home of Toronto FC, NYCFC made a bright start to the teams' fourth clash of the season, dominating possession from the get-go.

There were numerous chances for Castellanos in the first period, as Maxi Moralez, Keaton Parks and Jesus Medina all combined beautifully to fashion opportunities but Quentin Westberg could not be beaten in the Toronto goal and it was Toronto who went closest in the first half when a rare shot on goal from Nick DeLeon hit the post.

The best opportunity of the first 45' for the road team fell for Taty on 29' but his fiercely struck effort was blocked by Westberg and, as as they did at Red Bull Arena on their last meeting, the teams went in somehow level despite NYCFC's domination.

Fearing a repeat of the suckerpunch encountered with the luckless late penalty in September's match, NYCFC kept up the pressure after the break and it didn't take long for them to get their reward.

The irrepressible Castellanos created the goal, hitting a thunderous shot towards goal which Westberg could only parry out to Medina who did the rest, opening up his body and slotting into the corner for his fourth goal of the regular season - and second vs. Toronto in 2020.

That put the Paraguayan joint-top of the goalscoring rankings for the regular season along with Anton Tinnerholm, and he could've gone out on top on his own if his volley at the back post had been on target from a cross midway through the second half, but unfortunately for Jesus, his shot went the wrong side of the post when he might've scored.

Acevedo, Sebastien Ibeagha and Gudi Thórarinsson were introduced as the second half wore on with TFC pushing on for the equalizer and NYC still carrying a threat on the break. 

It was City who looked the most dangerous on their breaks as the hosts' committed men forward, but there would be no more scoring, meaning Deila's men held on for all three points, levelling the seasonal head-to-head vs. Toronto at 2-2. 

Next up, it's a Hudson River Derby in the Bronx on Sunday as City step up their quest for a top four spot.