ENGLISH VERSION
On paper, Toronto FC lined up in a 1-3-5-2 formation, while New York City FC opted for a 1-4-3-3 setup. With both teams aiming to get a result without sacrificing overall balance, the tactical approach suggested a midfield battle as each side looked to control possession in the central areas.
In terms of standings, the two teams were also closely matched heading into the match. The home team, Toronto FC, entered the game with 7 points in 14th place, while visiting New York City FC had accumulated 11 points, sitting in 10th place on the table.
From the opening whistle, New York City appeared more dominant in midfield, creating clearer attacking opportunities than the hosts. The first chances with real threat belonged to NYCFC, who showed superior ball control and composure. Alonso Martínez stood out early as the key figure in New York’s attacking efforts. Toronto’s first significant attempt did not come until the 24th minute of the first half.
Although Toronto held more possession, they struggled to translate that control into meaningful chances, as most individual duels were won by the visitors. Toronto’s next notable approach came in the 43rd minute via a play down the right flank from Federico Bernardeschi.
In the second half, Toronto looked to be more aggressive offensively, but in doing so left too much space at the back—an invitation for New York City to exploit on the counterattack.
The first real chance for Toronto FC after the break came five minutes in, when Jonathan Osorio found space, but forward Charlie Sharp was unable to finish the move.
Shortly after, NYCFC nearly scored, but Toronto’s defense managed to clear the ball off the line just in time. Then, in the 63rd minute, Alonso Martínez broke into the box and was brought down in the area—commonly referred to as the “sixteen-fifty” (16.50). The foul was questionable, with even the referee showing hesitation before ultimately awarding the penalty.
Martínez himself stepped up and calmly converted the spot kick, scoring what would be the only goal of the match.
From that point on, NYCFC maintained a counterattacking strategy, capitalizing on the uncertainty in Toronto’s defensive line. The home side lost clarity in midfield and was limited to circulating the ball in their own half without creating any danger or surprise.
Throughout the entire match, Toronto FC failed to register a single shot on target and did not produce any clear goal-scoring opportunities, a statistic that underscores their limited attacking intent and lack of offensive execution.
Looking ahead, Toronto FC will face the New England Revolution at home on May 3, in Matchday 11 of the MLS season.
