Union’s bid to avenge playoff loss to New York City FC thwarted after 2-1 loss in extra time
The Union outshot NYCFC, 17-13, but New York City put 10 of those shots on goal, opposed to five shots on goal for the Union.
The Union entered Sunday evening’s match looking to avenge the playoff loss that halted its 2025 playoff campaign in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Instead, New York City FC (1-0-1, 4 points) beat the Union, 2-1, in the team’s Major League Soccer home opener at Subaru Park.
Hannes Wolf put NYCFC up, 1-0, in the 36th minute. Indiana Vassilev tied the game at one in the 89th minute, but before the Union could escape with a draw, Olwethu Makhanya was sent off in the 92nd minute.
With a man advantage in 10 minutes of second-half additional time, NYCFC was able to find the game’s decisive goal, a header from Tayvon Gray in the 99th minute.
The Union (0-2-0, 0 points) outshot NYCFC, 17-13, over the course of the match, but New York City put 10 of those shots on goal, opposed to five shots on goal for the Union.
The Union struggled to create meaningful chances in the first half. They took six shots in the first 45 minutes, but none of them were on frame. NYCFC keeper and Wayne native Matt Freese finished the first half without a save.
“We just need to be sharper,” Vassilev said. “It’s the second game of the season. New York’s a really good team … The second half, I thought we were really good, as well. I thought we deserved more than a goal.”
Conversely, NYCFC kept Andre Blake busy in the first half. It found its first goal in the 36th minute, as Hannes Wolf cleaned up the rebound from one of Blake’s four first-half saves.
Nicolas Fernandez got in behind the Union’s back line and launched a shot from close range at Blake, who palmed the shot away from the net. The Union could not control the shot’s rebound, which fell to an unmarked Wolf at the top of the six-yard box.
As Blake scrambled to get back to the center of the net, Wolf put New York City up, 1-0, with a left-footed strike.
Looking for an equalizer, Union manager Bradley Carnell brought on Ben Bender for Frankie Westfield and Stas Korzeniowski for Agustín Anello in the 59th minute.
The Union nearly earned a penalty in the 66th minute, as Jovan Lukić went down while trying to get to a Danley Jean-Jacques pass in the 18-yard box.
A video replay was initiated to deem if the contact New York City’s Raul Gustavo made with Lukić warranted a spot kick, but Chris Penso, the match’s referee, decided that no foul was committed.
Still pressing to find a goal, the Union brought on Cavan Sullivan for Milan Iloski in the 83rd and Sal Olivas for Bruno Damiani in the 86th.
Korzeniowski earned the Union a penalty in the 89th minute after being fouled by NYCFC’s Thiago Martins in the 18-yard box.
The Union’s usual penalty takers, Damiani and Iloski, were off the field by the time the team was awarded the kick, so Vassilev stepped up to take the penalty. He beat Freese from the spot to tie the game, 1-1.
“We just took a lot of guys off, and I just happened to be on the field, so I took it,” Vassilev said. “Freese is a good goalie. I thought he was going to dive, so I went down the middle.”
Ten minutes of additional time were tacked on to the end of the second half. The Union played much of it down to 10 men, as Makhanya was shown his second yellow card of the match for dissent in the 92nd minute.
It was the second time a Union player has been shown red in as many MLS matches. Ezekiel Alladoh served a one-game red card suspension on Sunday after being sent off in the team’s 1-0 loss at D.C. United. Makhanya will serve a one-game suspension when the Union face San Jose on March 7.
“Our stuff, over the last two weeks, from a disciplinary standpoint, is probably substandard,” Carnell said.
Carnell made a defensive substitution in the 94th minute, bringing on Geiner Martínez for Vassilev to compensate for Makhanya’s absence.
With its man advantage, NYCFC was able to find a second goal to break the tie in the 99th minute. Tayvon Gray sent a headed attempt past Blake to win it for New York City, 2-1.
“It’s just unfortunate,” Carnell said. “For all the effort that they guys put in, that we don’t earn at least a tie or even have enough chances, in abundance, to win the game. So now we’re left with zerp points in the first two games, and this is something that we are fully focused going into next stretch of games here.”
Up next
The Union will return to Subaru Park to face the San Jose Earthquakes on March 7 (7:30 p.m., Apple TV).
San Jose (2-0-0, 6 points) is the first of six Western Conference opponents the Union will face this season.