Columbus Crew 1 – 0 NYCFC

NYCFC should have been building on a strong 2019 season that saw them finishing on top of the MLS Eastern Conference table.  It did look that the momentum is going to build for New York with the advancement to the Concacaf Champions League quarterfinals Wednesday.  But the opening game of the MLS 2020 season didn’t go to plan for NYCFC, far from it.

The Cityzens were down to 10 men less than 3 minutes into the game, with centerback Maxime Chanot sent off with a red card for clipping Columbus Crew’s midfielder Lucas Zelarayan.  This was considered denial of a goal-scoring opportunity, and playing against 10 men for the next 87 minutes helped Columbus Crew get the upper hand.

This was the 3^rd earliest red card to be shown in MLS history, and the earliest ever in an MLS season opening match. 

NYCFC switched to 4-4-1 and tried to block Columbus Crew’s attacks, but eventually the crew found New York’s net, with Zelarayan firing a shot to the far upper goal and scoring for the Crew the winning, only goal of the match (56’).  Zelarayan, the Argentinian attacking midfielder is already returning the Crew’s investment.  Being acquired from the UANL Tigers team this offseason, his transfer fee was the highest in the Crews history.

Columbus are travelling to Seattle on Saturday, March 7^th to face 2019 MLS champions Sounders, and NYCFC will be visiting Toronto FC on that Saturday.