New York City FC wins first game of Major League Soccer season with 2-1 comeback victory over Toronto FC… which had not given up ANY goals in previous three games

Toronto FC entered Saturday night’s game on the road against New York City FC as the lone Major League Soccer team to not allow a goal this season, keeping three clean sheets. 

That bubble burst in the 24th minute on a gorgeous free kick goal from Santiago Rodriguez. NYCFC added the go-ahead marker midway through the second half on a Kevin O’Toole header to win its first game of the season, 2-1, at Yankee Stadium. 

A reversal of fortunes did not appear in the cards early for New York, who allowed a 7th-minute goal to Toronto’s Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty on a play riddled with defensive errors. 

NYCFC was desperate for a win, as one of the three teams in MLS entering the weekend without a point, with team head coach Nick Cushing firmly on the hot seat, receiving loads of pressure from fans to quickly deliver results.  

After the victory, Cushing spoke directly to those job-security rumors, saying how important the team’s fan base was to him. Before the match, NYCFC supporters shut down part of River Avenue with a large crowd, chanting and hoping the losing streak would end. 

A free-kick goal from Santiago Rodriguez was the first goal Toronto had given up this season

‘Everybody wants to win for everybody here and that’s special,’ Cushing said. ‘That is the New York spirit. When we don’t get points, I will accept the criticism as the leader. I said last week, I will always bring it up. I will always speak to the fans. I will always give my clarity and opinion on why I believe we aren’t winning.’ 

‘And the day that I don’t believe that I can provide, I promise you, I won’t be here,’ Cushing added. ‘Not because I don’t want to be here, but because this means more to me than anything. I’ve been with this organization for 18 seasons, and every team and every person within it is really close to me.’ 

‘Every fan, they are the most important people. So I will never question them,’ Cushing continued. ‘What I will do is continue to work everyday, incredibly hard no matter how I feel, positive or negative, to make sure the team is prepared for the next game.’

The groans were loud at Yankee Stadium for Marshall-Rutty’s goal, with the memory of last week’s stoppage-time loss to Portland firmly burned into the memory of every fan. 

Cushing saw coming off of being on the wrong side of a 97th-minute game-winner and going down by a goal in under 10 minutes as freeing, as his roster can play with ‘nothing to lose.’

‘I would love to score the first three goals and at halftime I can sit down and take a coffee. But it wasn’t to be today,’ Cushing said about trailing early. 

‘But the strength of character and spirit of the group to just absorb that pressure and that punch and just move forward is … I’m proud of the reaction the players showed this week. I’m even more proud of the reaction they showed after going 1-nil down,’ Cushing continued. 

Rodriguez’s free kick from around 25 yards away from goal curled into the upper left corner, freezing Toronto FC goalkeeper Luka Garvan for the equalizer.

TFC’s usual starting goalkeeper, the United States men’s national team’s Sean Johnson, is out for a few weeks with a hamstring injury. 

Johnson might have stood no chance at stopping the Rodriguez golazo either. 

Garvan did step up when needed for the next several minutes, especially on a first-half stoppage time chance from Keaton Parks, which he saved from point-blank range. 

NYCFC took the lead in the 64th minute on a header from Kevin O’Toole, which hit the crossbar over the outstretched hands of Garvan before crossing the goal line. 

Kevin O’Toole scored the game-winning goal in the second half on a header over Toronto FC

Julian Fernandez set up the goal with an assist, flicking the ball toward goal with the outside of his left foot with the ball meeting O’Toole in stride.   

A victory did not come easy for NYCFC after taking the lead, as it played with 10 men for a long stretch to end the game with Parks being sent off with a straight red in the 68th minute. 

Yet, after the final whistle, the sigh of relief from the players and fans was palpable. 

After three points were secured and handshakes with the Toronto roster were given out, the NYCFC roster charged over to the left-field bleachers where the loudest contingent of the team’s supporters were placed to a raucous ovation. 

‘I needed it, the team definitely needed it,’ NYCFC midfielder James Sands said. ‘Any time you can win the first game of the season in those circumstances, it’s a massive boost to everyone. I think that the whole club really needed it.’ 

NYCFC returns to action next weekend on the road against FC Cincinnati, while Toronto returns home to face Atlanta United.