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Portland. Fifth, Dec. 12 (BUS): After more than a decade in Major League Soccer, goalkeeper Shawn Johnson has finally managed to lift the championship trophy.
He also received the MLS Cup MVP award.
Johnson suspended a pair of penalty shootouts in Portland, and New York City won their first Major League Soccer title on penalties after a 1-1 draw with the Timbers on Saturday. Alex Callins turned in his attempt to clinch the penalty shootout 4-2, The Associated Press reports.
Johnson has been in the MLS since 2010, with the Chicago Fire for the first time. He joined New York City in 2017.
“What a journey so far, this one has been crazy this year. Lots of meltdowns,” Johnson said. “We talked amongst ourselves before the match and just said it was a massive opportunity to make it worth it. And that’s what we live for, these moments. To be the best player in the finals, I mean the world, but it means a lot to lift the trophy for this club.”
Golden Boot winner Valentin “Tate” Castellanos scored in the first half and the New York Football Club looked on their way to the league championship in regulation, but Portland’s Felipe Mora scored an injury-time goal to give the Timbers hope.
Captain of the Johnson NYCFC team, the PKs of Mora and Diego Valeri were suspended in a penalty shootout after both teams went goalless in overtime.
“I just wanted to make sure we stayed at the same level, we’ve been in this situation before. I told the players that we have the experience, not panic, and not get upset with ourselves, because there are more chances to go forward and win the game,” he said of guiding the team to the end. .
The NYCFC team celebrated in front of goal after converting Callens, while putting Valeri in the middle of the field in disbelief. And a group of New York players broke off from the party to greet their fans gathered in the opposite corner of the field.
New York stayed on the field long after the victory. Coach Ronnie Delia took off his underwear and raised the trophy.
“I don’t regret it, it was such a big moment,” Delia said. “I will continue to do that if we continue to win titles.”
New York City, which joined the league in 2015, has never advanced to the title game.
Castellanos, who scored 19 goals in the regular season, is back in the starting line-up after missing the Eastern Conference final against Philadelphia. The Argentine striker was shown a red card in the conference semi-final against top seed New England Revolution, which New York City won on penalties after a 2-2 draw.
New York’s 2-1 win over Philadelphia earned New York City a place in the MLS Cup Final. NYCFC was the fourth seed in the East after finishing the regular season 14-9-11.
Timbers also ranked fourth after winning 17-13-4 in the regular season. Top-seeded Portland defeated the Colorado Rapids on Thanksgiving Day before beating Real Salt Lake 2-0 at Providence Park to win the Western Conference title and secure their home ground for the final.
Timbers won the MLS Cup in 2015 and went to the final in 2018, but fell to Atlanta.
“It’s a hard feeling, it’s bitter, and it’s hard to accept. Before we learn anything from it, we need to feel and understand the feelings we’re going to return to after this game, not to achieve our goal, to lift the trophy at home,” Timbers coach Giovanni Savarese said. We can think of a better situation for us than lifting this cup. So the first thing is to manage our emotions and come to the realization that it happened this way. The game can be tough.”
The match was lively at first, with brief skirmishes erupting in the 25th minute. The players also had to endure rather poor weather conditions with temperatures in the forties, steady rain and gusty winds.
Castellanos scored with a Maxi Moralez free kick header in the 40th minute, giving NYCFC an early lead. The goal celebration was marred when Jesus Medina in New York appeared to have been hit by an object thrown by a fan.
It was the first set-ball goal allowed by the Timbers in 20 games.
The timber at times looked disorganized. Mora had one of the best chances in the second half, but his shot in the 81st minute fell directly into Johnson’s hands. He had another in 97 but I saw him go well over the grid.
Mora finally broke through in the final moments of injury time with four minutes. This was the latest goal scored in the MLS Cup.
But the goal was controversial. The New York City players argued that this should not be allowed, claiming that Maxime Chanute was fouled by Portland’s Larrys Mabiala in the lead-up to the game. at the end,
“The first half was a little difficult, because New York tried to control the ball and control the game. They found a way to score on us and made it more difficult for us,” said Diego Chara, a Portland player. “In the second half, we found a way to tie the game. I think after that it was different for us, gaining confidence, playing with the ball, creating a lot of chances.”
Valerie came on as a substitute in the 89th minute as speculation mounted that the 35-year-old forward would retire.
Valerie was with the Timbers when they won the 2015 MLS Cup, and scored in the opening moments of their 2-1 win over Columbus Crew. He was named League Player of the Year in 2017 after scoring 21 goals and 11 assists.
New York City joins parent club Manchester City in the Abu Dhabi-funded group to win the title. The group now owns partially or wholly New York City and Manchester City, as well as teams in Australia, Belgium, China, France, India, Japan, Spain and Uruguay with a partnership in Bolivia as well.
Owner Sheikh Mansour acquired Manchester City in 2008 which has transformed the fortunes of a team with a track record of success into the most successful Premier League side over the past decade.