New York City FC and Club Querétaro were inseparable for 90 minutes, needing penalty kicks to decide their 2024 Leagues Cup opener on Sunday at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx.
NYCFC was victorious, 4-3, in the shootout after NYCFC goalkeeper Luis Barraza made the winning save on Ronaldo Cisneros, sending the home fans into jubilation.
“He's the hero tonight and he deserves it,” said New York City coach Nick Cushing. “One thing, I can't praise Luis enough, his character and his personality has been excellent. His training habits have been top level. That's why you get these moments tonight because he's kept himself ready and that's why I really believed in him tonight.”
Looking to continue their Cinderella run from the 2023 edition, Querétaro had the first dangerous look from a free kick in the 4th minute, but it was the start of Barraza’s top performance by denying Jonathan Perlaza.
Christian McFarlane had a promising header at the left post in the 22nd minute, on a pinpoint service from Maxi Moralez, but Querétaro goalkeeper Guillermo Allison came up with the important save.
Moralez hit a dangerous ball across the goal area in the 42nd but Julián Fernández could not get the right placement on the ball, sparing the Gallos Blancos.
“Defensively, the team performed well,” said Queretaro head coach Mauro Gerk. “Nullified the New York players well. I think we did well. As we had planned it.”
Jovan Mijatović had a feel for the theatrics in the 73rd with a bicycle kick attempt but even that was not enough to break through on the scoreboard.
Alonso Martínez had a menacing hit from outside the box in the 76th but Allison went up in the air to punch out the danger.
Martinez had another dangerous look in the 87th but was just wide. The Costa Rican struck on goal inside the box in the 88th but Allison would not be defeated.
Barraza saw out his clean sheet in second half stoppage time by denying Cisneros from outside the box and collecting a cross into the penalty area by Pablo Barrera.
“We played against a team that sat incredibly low with eleven players behind the ball at times,” added Cushing in his postmatch analysis. “They came here to try and take the game to penalties and win and we have to be a team that opens them up and gets the goals. We know we have to create more.”
The next match in East 1 will be FC Cincinnati hosting Queretaro on Thursday. New York City FC will make its own trip to Ohio on Monday, August 5 to close the group.
