Elated supporters celebrate first ever triumph and look to the future of the franchise and football in The Big Apple
At the end of a dramatic 120 minute game full of intrigue and narrative, NYCFC beat Portland Timbers on penalties in their own backyard to win the 2021 MLS Cup. The visitors led by a 41st minute header from Taty Castellanos and thought they had gritted their way to a 1-0 win until Chilean international Felipe Mora finished well into the bottom corner in the dying seconds of added time. Extra time wouldn't be enough to separate the two and a penalty shootout would be needed.
With excitement at a fever pitch for the lucky fans present in the stadium and those watching at the NYCFC viewing party at the Hammerstein Ballroom in Manhattan, as well as elsewhere, New York goalie and captain Sean Johnson made two crucial saves which Portland just could not come back from. He first kept out the effort of goalscoring hero Mora, before denying Argentine midfielder Diego Valeri in what might be his last act as a Timbers player, after a long and storied time at the club.
It was a cruel finish for the home fans, players and particularly Valeri, but for New York City FC it was the culmination of a long season of hard work, and seven years of development on the part of City Football Group. A project which started with the high profile signings of galacticos like David Villa, Andrea Pirlo and Frank Lampard has blossomed into one of level headed practicality and efficiency. The on-pitch results have arrived and now the club and its ownership will look to build on this achievement.
But what are the goals going forward? How long should fans celebrate this before casting their minds towards the future? What's next for New York City FC, its players and its fans? We caught up with Oliver Strand, editor of Hudson River Blue, an SB Nation fan community, and Jordan Griffith, a member of the NYCFC Nation, an independent site and podcast, to get their reaction to the win.
Q. How does it feel to have won the MLS Cup after only seven seasons in existence?
Oliver: It's a cliche to say "pure joy" but that's what it is: Pure, uncut, pharmaceutical-grade joy. I don't think the age of the club figures, although there is something to being there at the very beginning. Winning the cup is more a vindication of NYCFC's playing style, which is attractive, creative, possession-based, technical. That started under Patrick Vieira, who brought the City (and Arsenal) style to NYCFC, which hadn't really been seen in MLS. That's changing now. Mostly, this title validates what the supporters have felt for years, that NYCFC plays the prettiest soccer in the league.
Q. In a city boasting some of the world's biggest sporting organisations, how much of a splash has this victory made?
Jordan: This victory is being recognized on a national level as New York City has been out of the championship spotlight for far too long. From the 90s through 2012, pretty much every New York sports team had their opportunity to compete for a title, with the Yankees and Giants actually getting the job done multiple times. With these runs in the largest city on earth coinciding with the rise of the internet, New York City dominated sports conversations in many ways. However, over the last decade, these major powers have faded from that national championship spotlight and fans from New York have been foaming at the mouth to get that spotlight back. Soccer is still a bit secondary to some of the major sports in America, but this championship for NYCFC is moving the needle. Fans of other sports are recognizing the achievement, and I think you’re going to see that popularity rise both with views and with dollars.
Q. Looking back on the whole season, who would you say has been the star player in the squad?
Oliver: Only one? That's impossible to say. Taty Castellanos, the hardest-working forward in MLS and winner of Golden Boot? But Taty wouldn't be Taty without Maxi Moralez pulling the strings and providing assists. Center-back Alexander Callens, who shuts down the opposition's attack then converts the deciding penalty kick in two playoff shoot-outs? If forced to choose I'd say goalkeeper Sean Johnson, who's also the captain. He's rock-solid in the back, intelligent and calm in leadership, and his penalty saves in the shootouts against New England and Portland were highlight-reel heroics.
Q. How did it feel when Portland equalised through that 94th minute Felipe Mora goal? Did you have any doubts then?
Jordan: I mentioned this on Twitter; that goal will stand out in my memory forever. How many times will we ever see a final go to overtime on a goal with five seconds remaining? And to have it done in the team’s home stadium, packed to the brim, was truly breath-taking. When the goal went in (I was feet away at the time), it was pandemonium. The Portland fans went out of their minds and NYCFC as a community was in true shock. It’s a testament to the club and the way this team has performed this year that the staff, team and fans were able to rally back. Of course, we had no doubts.
Q. How much credit does Ronny Deila, a name familiar to those of us on the other side of the Atlantic, deserve for this win?
Oliver: He gets all the credit. Many doubted Deila, including myself. He didn't always seem tactically astute, and often didn't make key subs, or made them but so late in the game they couldn't make a difference. Still, you could see how he improved the players over the course of the year. Because of the severe salary cap in MLS you can't just go out and buy the players you need. If you want a deep squad you have to develop the players you have. Deila understands this. He turned 19-year-old Tayvon Gray into a solid starter—he's from the Bronx, a local kid made good. Another homegrown is the 21-year-old James Sands, who bossed the midfield in front of the defense. We won the MLS Cup because of them, and because Deila cultivated their abilities.
Q. How do you expect the club to build on this success? What does the next five years look like to you?
Jordan: There is only one answer here: STADIUM. The one remaining knock on the organization is that it does not have a soccer-specific-stadium, something the club has promised and doubled down on since day one. The real estate processes in the largest city in the world is something that far surpasses my knowledge, but of late, there has been a real fear amongst supporters that a stadium in New York City may never happen. This MLS Cup has given fans, both new and old, a new perspective, and I believe the community is truly going to rally. If New York City can get a massive stadium in the city, on the level of some of the global powers around the world, the club won’t just have the opportunity to be one of the top organizations in MLS; with a true jaw-dropping stadium, NYCFC could be one of the top clubs in the world.
Fans will have to wait until February for the start of the next regular season to find out if NYCFC can get off to a good start as they hope to become the first team to retain the title since LA Galaxy a decade ago. There are several unanswered questions floating around which are sure to keep bubbling in the interim. What about their CCL campaign? Will there be progress on the stadium issue? Could some key players be destined for European moves? All will become clear in the coming months, but for now the New York City FC faithful will rightfully bask in the glory of their first ever MLS Cup.
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