Peruvian center-back Alexander Callens scored the decisive shot on Saturday that has given New York City the first title in the MLS Grand Final with a 2-4 win on penalties after drawing 1-1 at the Portland Timbers court. in regulation time.
Argentine Valentin Castellanos, the league’s top scorer, put City ahead in the 41st minute. And when everything seemed certain for the celestial team to become the first champion team in New York history, at 94 minutes he appeared. Chilean striker Felipe Mora out of nowhere to establish the miraculous equalizer.
In the extension time of the final played at Providence Park, in the city of Portland (Oregon), the 1-1 was not altered. But with the breath of their fans in the stands, Venezuelan coach Giovanni Savarese’s Timbers seemed closer to the title.
The Chilean Mora opened the path to Timbers’ victory over Real Salt Lake in the Western Conference final eight days ago, who then took it upon himself to prop up Colombian Santiago Moreno for a 2-1 final.
And today Mora passed to Villano as a hero because he missed the first shot in the penalty shoot-out, which enshrined goalkeeper and captain Sean Jhonson, who stopped two shots.
New York City, which last Sunday won the Eastern Conference title at the expense of the Philadelphia Union 0-2, today seized the ball from the opening bars.
In the first minute of the game, Argentine Maximiliano Morález finished off a low ball that was stopped by goalkeeper Steve Clark.
It was in 41 that City opened the scoring. Moralez took a free kick on the right that Castellanos made it 0-1 with his forehead at the second post.
The City continued in the complement as the most active team in offense against Portland, who took time to decipher the tactical drawing that drowned their offensive game from the wings.
Portland did not falter and pressed in the final minutes, tied it with just eight seconds left.
Pole Jaroslaw Niezgoda focused on Jhonson’s area. In the confusion, Mora released a dry shot that made it 1-1 in 94.
Overtime changed command, with first overtime that belonged to Portland and a second to City, although fatigue took its toll on both teams with few dangerous plays.
Timbers were the closest to defining the game before penalties with a pair of shots from Paraguayan Cristhian Paredes at 93, and at 112, which Sean Johnson neutralized.
In the series of penalties, by New York they converted Castellanos, Morlez, the Brazilian Tales Magno and Callens; the German Alfredo Morales failed.
The Colombian Santiago Moreno and Paredes made the shots from eleven meters through Portland, while Mora and the Argentine Diego Valeri missed.