New York City FC broke CF Montréal's hopes of a franchise-record seven-game unbeaten streak, with Ismael Tajouri-Shradi's goal sealing a 1-0 win at Red Bull Arena on Wednesday evening.
Looking to pounce on their hosts early, Montréal hit the crossbar within the first 10 minutes of play. Bjørn Johnsen struck a loose ball on the volley inside the box that shocked everyone, including the woodwork.
NYCFC then broke the ice in the 29th minute after a goal kick paired with a defensive miscue by the Montréal defense. Luis Barraza cleared the ball off his six-yard line, with the ensuing bounce fooling both Zorhan Bassong and James Pantemis. That left Ismael Tajouri-Shradi just enough time to easily lob the ball over the Montréal goalkeeper and into the back of the net.
For a split-second, Montréal had their equalizer thanks to a long run by Johnsen that beat Barraza. But the linesman raised his offside flag after the Norwegian found the back of the net.
Tajouri-Shradi thought he gave NYCFC a two-goal lead in the 55th minute, but he too was stopped by the crossbar. The Libyan international received the ball just above the penalty spot, then was inches from another tally.
Montréal head coach Wilfried Nancy made attack-minded substitutions in the second half, as they pushed to keep their unbeaten streak intact. But the referee's whistle confirmed NYCFC's victory and Barraza's first win and first clean sheet in MLS.
Goals
- 29' – NYC – Ismael Tajouri-Shradi | WATCH
Three things
- THE BIG PICTURE: NYCFC shook things up, snapping a two-game losing streak against one of the clubs they recently lost to. Ronny Deila's squad avenged their 2-1 defeat from back on July 7. CF Montréal's run has finally come to an end, and Wilfried Nancy's squad will want to quickly turn the page before a taxing end to the month.
- MOMENT OF THE MATCH: You don’t see goals that start from a goal kick very often. Ismael Tajouri-Shardi read Luis Barraza’s blast, then lobbed home the game-winning goal.
- MAN OF THE MATCH: Ismael Tajouri-Shradi made his mark on a match where opportunities were few and far between. He took advantage of Montréal’s mishaps to earn the game-winning goal and was a crossbar away from doubling his tally.
Next up
- NYC: Sunday, July 25 vs Orlando City | 6 pm ET (MLS Live on ESPN+)
- MTL: Sunday, July 25 at New England Revolution | 6 pm ET (TVA Sports, MLS Live on ESPN+)
