Toronto FC 0–1 New York City FC: Martínez’s Penalty Sinks Toronto After Late Onslaught
- Alonso Contreras
- Apr 27
- 4 min read
By Alonso Contreras
On a chilly evening at BMO Field, New York City FC edged out Toronto FC in a fiercely contested 1–0 battle, where fine margins and a clinical penalty kick by Alonso Martínez made all the difference. Despite Toronto’s dominance in the final stages, their lack of finishing touch ultimately cost them.
First Half: Midfield Wrestling Match and Missed Openings
The early stages set the tone for a game where both sides wanted to impose physicality as much as finesse. In just the 3rd minute, Charlie Sharp had a golden opportunity to put Toronto ahead, rising unchallenged in the center of the box but heading over with an xG of 36%. A bad miss that would loom large later.
NYCFC responded swiftly, Keaton Parks directing a header wide in the 10th minute (24% xG), and Alonso Martínez saw an angled shot saved by Sean Johnson minutes later — a routine but necessary intervention from Toronto’s captain.
The match became increasingly scrappy:
Deybi Flores (Toronto) and Kevin O'Toole (NYCFC) both picked up yellow cards for crunching tackles before the 22nd minute.
Raoul Petretta, a standout for Toronto at left-back, drew multiple fouls as he tried to push up the flank against NYC’s aggressive press.
Toronto’s best first-half chances came through Federico Bernardeschi, who had two shots blocked in quick succession around the half-hour mark, both from promising central areas inside the box. NYCFC, meanwhile, forced a series of corners but couldn’t generate a clear-cut opportunity.
As halftime approached, Theo Corbeanu forced Matt Freese into his first real save — a left-footed strike from close range parried away in the 43rd minute.Halftime score: 0–0, with both sides showing fight but little finesse.
Second Half: Penalty Twist and Desperate Final Push
The second half began with Toronto slowly seizing territorial control. Federico Bernardeschi whipped in a series of dangerous corners, and Kevin Long forced a block from Justin Haak with a powerful header (xG 29%) in the 56th minute.
However, a catastrophic moment arrived for Toronto in the 64th minute:Kosi Thompson brought down Alonso Martínez just inside the area after a clever cut inside. The referee pointed to the spot without hesitation. Martínez himself stepped up and calmly rolled the ball into the bottom left corner, sending Johnson the wrong way.Goal: Toronto FC 0–1 New York City FC (64', Alonso Martínez, Penalty, xG 77%).
Immediately after the goal, NYCFC tightened their lines:
Nick Cushing introduced Nico Cavallo and Jonathan Shore to provide fresh defensive legs.
Maxi Moralez and Agustín Ojeda also made way, shifting NYC into a compact 5-4-1 defensive block.
Toronto responded with a wave of substitutions:
Insigne came on for Maxime Domínguez (67’).
Spicer replaced Bernardeschi (70’).
Coello and Sharp also entered, providing fresh energy.
The final 20 minutes belonged almost entirely to Toronto.Tyrese Spicer added a spark on the right wing, coming close with a low shot in the 87th minute (xG 2%), narrowly dragging it wide after a quick exchange with Jonathan Osorio.
Into stoppage time, Matty Longstaff let fly from outside the box — twice — but NYC’s Birk Risa bravely blocked both attempts.The final and best chance came off a Jonathan Osorio corner in the 91st minute. Sigurd Rosted rose highest but, under pressure, directed his header over the bar (xG 11%). That miss felt like the final nail for Toronto’s hopes.
A late yellow for Tayvon Gray after a foul on Spicer showed NYCFC were hanging on — but hang on they did.
Match Statistics:
Category | Toronto FC | NYCFC |
Possession (%) | 53% | 47% |
Shots (On Target) | 14 (3) | 11 (4) |
Expected Goals (xG) | 1.1 | 1.3 |
Corners | 7 | 6 |
Yellow Cards | 3 | 3 |
Pass Accuracy | 82% | 78% |
Player Ratings:
Toronto FC
Sean Johnson — 6.5: Solid saves but little he could do about the penalty.
Raoul Petretta — 7.0: Best Toronto defender, winning multiple duels.
Sigurd Rosted — 6.0: Defensively solid but missed the big header late.
Kevin Long — 5.5: Booked early and looked a bit rash.
Kosi Thompson — 5.0: His foul cost Toronto the match.
Deybi Flores — 5.5: Industrious but too aggressive.
Maxime Domínguez — 6.0: Quiet influence before subbed off.
Federico Bernardeschi — 6.5: Toronto’s creative spark but crowded out.
Jonathan Osorio — 7.0: Most influential midfielder, good delivery from corners.
Theo Corbeanu — 6.0: Flashes of danger but lacked end product.
Charlie Sharp — 5.5: Missed an early sitter that haunted Toronto.
Substitutes:
Lorenzo Insigne — 6.0: Struggled to find rhythm.
Tyrese Spicer — 7.0: Injected energy late.
Matty Longstaff — 6.5: Two good shots blocked.
Alonso Coello — 6.0: Neat and tidy in midfield.
New York City FC
Matt Freese — 7.0: Big saves when needed.
Tayvon Gray — 6.0: Booked late, solid otherwise.
Justin Haak — 6.5: Aerially dominant.
Birk Risa — 7.5: Heroic blocks late on.
Jonathan Shore — 6.0: Cameo appearance to shore up.
Keaton Parks — 7.0: Commanded midfield well.
Maxi Moralez — 6.5: Composed in possession.
Hannes Wolf — 7.0: Dangerous throughout.
Alonso Martínez — 8.0 ★ MOTM: Won and scored the match-winner.
Julián Fernández — 6.0: Booked for time-wasting.
Agustín Ojeda — 6.5: Good outlet before subbed.
Substitutes:
Nicolás Cavallo — 6.0: Helped NYCFC see it out.
Andrés Perea — 6.5: Added steel in midfield.
Tactical Insights:
NYCFC’s defensive shape: After scoring, NYC dropped into a 5-4-1 and defended their penalty area expertly, limiting Toronto to long shots and crosses.
Toronto’s crossing strategy: Toronto became too predictable late, relying heavily on Osorio and Bernardeschi to swing balls into the box without much variation.
Transition battle: NYC’s quick midfield transitions caused Toronto problems early but faded as the match wore on.
What’s Next?
Toronto FC must find a way to convert dominance into goals ahead of a crucial fixture against the New England Revolution next weekend.
New York City FC can build confidence from this gritty win as they return home to face CF Montréal.
