38-Year-Old Argentine Maestro Scores in Fourth Straight Playoff Match Against Union; Freese’s Heroics Seal Historic Road Victory
Philadelphia, PA – Maxi Moralez became the oldest player in New York City FC history to score in an MLS Cup Playoff match, netting his fourth consecutive postseason goal against the Philadelphia Union to lift the fifth-seeded visitors to a 1-0 victory in the Eastern Conference Semifinals on Sunday night at Subaru Park.
The 38-year-old Argentine midfielder’s 27th-minute strike proved to be the difference as NYCFC (3-0-1 in the 2025 playoffs) advanced to the Eastern Conference Final against top-seeded Inter Miami CF, marking the third time in franchise history the club has reached the conference final or beyond.
A crowd of 19,210 watched as goalkeeper Matt Freese made five saves, including two spectacular stops in the second half, to preserve the clean sheet and send NYCFC to its second consecutive Eastern Conference Final appearance.
The victory was particularly impressive given NYCFC’s injury situation. The club was without leading scorer Alonso Martínez and midfielder Andrés Perea, both sidelined with injuries, while midfielder Aiden O’Neill served a suspension.
Moralez Makes History with Record-Breaking Goal
Moralez’s historic goal came in the 27th minute on a beautifully orchestrated team move that showcased NYCFC’s tactical flexibility and attacking fluidity.
The sequence began with Agustín Ojeda driving down the right wing before cutting inside and laying the ball off to Nicolás Fernández Mercau. Fernández Mercau then slid a perfectly weighted through ball behind the Union’s defensive line to meet Moralez’s run, and the diminutive playmaker calmly side-footed the ball past Union goalkeeper Andre Blake into the bottom left corner.
The goal, scored with his right foot from the center of the box with an expected goals (xG) value of 49%, gave Moralez his sixth career playoff goal and extended his remarkable scoring streak against Philadelphia in postseason play.
At 38 years and 269 days old, Moralez surpassed former NYCFC forward David Villa (36 years, 332 days) as the oldest player in club history to score in an MLS Cup Playoff match.
“For me to score at this age is beautiful. I am 38 years old, so as I said before I scored in 2021, 2022, and now today, so it’s beautiful to score, but it’s even more beautiful to win,” Moralez said. “We have another final next week, a difficult final [against Inter Miami CF], but now we need to enjoy this moment. Tomorrow, we’ll focus on the next match.”
Moralez is the only player in MLS history to score multiple playoff goals against the Union, and his five career postseason goals against Philadelphia tie him for the third-most goals scored by a single player against one opponent in MLS Cup Playoffs history. Only Roy Lassiter (11 vs. Columbus) and Carlos Ruiz (8 vs. Colorado) have more.
NYCFC head coach Pascal Jansen praised Moralez’s leadership and resilience throughout the season.
“It was a massive goal today, but it’s not only about today. His leadership was there from day one,” Jansen said. “He’s been a great inspiration for the whole dressing room since day one because he came back from a severe injury last season. If you see how much commitment he’s shown throughout the season to be available and bring the level to the game that he’s done, this doesn’t surprise me. I’m very happy for him and for the team with a fantastic goal.”
First Half: NYCFC Strikes Early, Weathers Union Pressure
Philadelphia came out aggressively, pressing high and testing NYCFC’s composure in possession from the opening whistle. The Union’s relentless pressure created an intense, physical contest that forced NYCFC to be sharp with the ball and disciplined defensively.
In the 15th minute, NYCFC turned the tables on the hosts when Moralez dispossessed Union defender Jakob Glesnes high up the field and passed inside to Fernández Mercau. The Argentine playmaker’s strike took a deflection and crashed against the post before bouncing back into play, serving as a warning shot for what was to come.
At the other end, Union forward Bruno Damiani fired off a low drive that Freese failed to gather at the first attempt, but the NYCFC goalkeeper pounced on the loose ball before it crept across the line.
After Moralez’s breakthrough goal in the 27th minute, Philadelphia continued to push for an equalizer. A corner found Olwethu Makhanya free at the back post, but his header bounced safely into Freese’s hands.
Ojeda proved a menacing presence out wide for NYCFC, nearly doubling the visitors’ advantage with a shot from distance that drew a good save from Blake. Union forward Tai Baribo was then handed a great chance to draw level, but missed the target.
Glesnes had two looks at goal in quick succession just before halftime but was unable to beat Freese, as NYCFC took their 1-0 lead into the intermission.
NYCFC outshot Philadelphia 3-2 in the first half and held a slight edge in possession at 49.1% to 50.9%.
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Second Half: Freese’s Heroics Preserve Victory
The second half saw Philadelphia ramp up the pressure in search of an equalizer, but NYCFC’s defensive resilience and Freese’s brilliance kept the Union at bay.
The first chance of the second half fell to the Union and Jovan Lukic, before Fernández Mercau came within inches of producing a goal-of-the-season contender. The talented playmaker picked up the loose ball from a Union corner and attempted an audacious, curled effort from within his own half. Blake’s desperate attempt to claw it away proved successful at the last possible moment, denying what would have been a spectacular goal.
Philadelphia continued to throw numbers forward, and in the 75th minute, Freese produced the save of the match. A deflected effort landed at the feet of substitute Frankie Westfield at the back post, and he looked destined to score. But Freese produced a brilliant kick save to deny him, preserving NYCFC’s lead.
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“I would say he saved us in the second half. I don’t know who had the first shot; that close one with the reaction save, and then [Philadelphia Union Forward Milan] Iloski’s shot. I was right behind it and thought the ball was in the goal, and then out of nowhere Freese comes flying across with a great save,” midfielder Justin Haak said. “It really [goes to show] how he’s been playing for us for the past two years [and] with the U.S. Men’s National Team. He’s finally getting recognition across the League. As a group we’re super happy for him and super happy he’s on our team.”
Jansen On Sub Choices
Jansen introduced Mitja Ilenič in place of Hannes Wolf in the 78th minute, and minutes later, NYCFC produced another dangerous counter-attack when Ojeda and Fernández Mercau combined down the left. Fernández Mercau squared it to Moralez, who tested substitute goalkeeper Andrew Rick (who replaced Blake in the 60th minute) with a stinging effort.
As the clock ticked toward the 90th minute, Westfield was once again found free at the back post but blazed his effort high and wide of the target.
Jansen’s second change of the evening saw Moralez make way for Strahinja Tanasijević in the 87th minute. In stoppage time, Milan Iloski unleashed a dangerous effort from distance that Freese did brilliantly to tip around the post.
NYCFC’s final substitution saw Julián Fernández replace Nicolás Fernández in the 90th minute. The Union threw everything forward in search of an equalizer, but NYCFC’s dogged defensive display held firm.
Jansen praised his team’s defensive commitment and resilience.
“Well, you know at some point, especially here in ‘Philly’ [Philadelphia] with the players they have and the way they play, that phase is going to come and that they will get their moments [to attack], and they did,” Jansen said. “It’s always a very pleasant thought that you have [Goalkeeper] Matt Freese in the goal…He is one of the best there is and he’s in good shape and shows that again tonight. Also, you see the commitment and the resilience that the team shows in particular moments to defend with their lives and have that block or throw their body in between the shot and the goal, it’s so impressive. But again, that foundation was laid on the training [pitch].”
Depth Shines as Shore, O’Toole Step Up
With Martínez, Perea, and O’Neill unavailable, Jansen made several changes to his lineup, inserting Jonathan Shore, Raúl Gustavo, Ojeda, and Wolf into the starting XI.
Shore, a homegrown midfielder, made his first MLS Cup Playoff start and appearance, partnering with Haak in the central defensive midfield. The 22-year-old delivered a composed, disciplined performance that helped NYCFC control the middle of the park.
“We obviously know that we’ve lost big players in Alonso and [Andrés] Perea. Aiden not being available because of suspension. But if you see how Kevin [O’Toole] and Johnny [Shore] made our heartbeat work again in the middle that was very really really impressive,” Jansen said. “And for Johnny in particular, it also doesn’t surprise me with Johnny because once he had played so many games at the beginning of the season and [Andrés] Perea was ready to play, he quietly went out of the team. But his training level was incredible. So his performance is just a reflection of how the kid has been working his training sessions since then.”
Haak, who has started all 38 matches for NYCFC this season (34 in the regular season, four in the playoffs), praised Shore’s performance.
“That’s why we’re really ready to step up. You know, Johnny played a great game in the middle after not starting for a while. Kevin, in a new position where he’s never started, plays some [time] in the game,” Haak said. “As a team, we really had to step up. [Andrés] Perea, Alonso, and Aiden and I feel we did a really good job of doing that.”
Defender Kevin O’Toole also played a key role, shifting into a more central midfield position at times to provide additional support and fluidity in possession.
Jansen explained the tactical adjustment.
“The fluidity in our play, especially in possession, requires sometimes that a fullback positions himself into midfield—and that’s something that we’ve been working on from day one as well to establish certain shapes in possession so we can get more bodies up front,” Jansen said. “So when Kevin came back from the national team, he could already sense in the training exercises that we had planned for the week and the days that he was there. He was an option to go in the central part of the pitch. A huge compliment to him also for the execution today.”
Ojeda, Fernández Mercau Provide Creative Spark
Ojeda, who has featured in all 38 matches for NYCFC this season, recorded his second assist of the playoffs on Moralez’s goal. The 20-year-old Argentine forward was a constant threat down the right flank, using his pace and dribbling ability to stretch Philadelphia’s defense and create space for his teammates.
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Fernández Mercau, who joined NYCFC in July, recorded his first playoff assist and continued his impressive form since his debut. Over his last 11 MLS appearances (including playoffs) since Sept. 13, Fernández Mercau has scored five goals and recorded one assist.
NYCFC is 7-1-0 on the road since Fernández Mercau’s debut in a 4-3 victory at FC Dallas on July 25. He has scored four goals on the road and recorded two assists during that span.
Moralez praised Fernández Mercau’s impact.
“For us he is a very important player. He came three months ago and played incredible, maybe 10 or 15 matches, and today he had the assist,” Moralez said. “We are very happy. For us he is an important player, he is our champion, so he showed that he is different. For us it is important and we will try in the next match that he plays the same way, better.”
Statistical Breakdown
NYCFC finished with six shots (four on goal) compared to Philadelphia’s 20 shots (five on goal). The Union held a slight edge in possession at 50.9% to 49.1%, but NYCFC’s pass accuracy was superior at 76.9% compared to Philadelphia’s 73.6%.
Philadelphia won the corner kick battle 8-3 and committed 18 fouls compared to NYCFC’s nine. NYCFC was shown four yellow cards (Hannes Wolf, Raúl Gustavo, Matt Freese, Maxi Moralez), while Philadelphia received one (Tai Baribo).
Freese made five saves to earn his fourth career playoff clean sheet, surpassing former NYCFC goalkeeper Sean Johnson for the most in club history. Through four playoff matches in 2025, Freese has recorded 12 saves and conceded just one goal, posting a 0.25 goals-against average with three clean sheets.
Moralez now has 22 playoff appearances for NYCFC, the most in club history, and leads the team in playoff goals (6) and assists (7). Against Philadelphia in the playoffs, Moralez has five total goal contributions (4 goals, 2 assists) in four matches.
NYCFC’s Playoff Dominance Continues
The victory improved NYCFC’s all-time playoff record to 10-9-5 and their road playoff record to 5-5-4. The club has now conceded just one goal in four matches in the 2025 playoffs.
NYCFC holds a 13-12-2 all-time record against Philadelphia across all competitions and a 3-1-0 record against the Union in the playoffs (1-0-0 at home, 2-1-0 on the road).
Entering the playoffs as the fifth seed, NYCFC has now advanced to the Eastern Conference Final or beyond in three of the nine times the club has qualified for the postseason (2021, 2022, 2025). In 2021, NYCFC won the MLS Cup. In 2022, the club reached the Eastern Conference Final before falling to Philadelphia 3-1.
Haak emphasized the team’s improved road form.
“Going into the season, we talked about our away form not being so good in the past and that was definitely a focus that we wanted to improve on,” Haak said. “I think those games like [the win at] Charlotte prepared us well for this game. There’s not really too many atmospheres that we can’t handle now. And we’re going to have another tough away game in Miami, so we’ll be ready for it.”
Travelling Supporters Provide Boost
NYCFC’s travelling supporters made their presence felt at Subaru Park, filling the away section with light blue and chanting throughout the match.
Jansen praised the fans’ support.
“I was impressed. The whole part of the away fans was filled with light blue and I could hear the chant during the national anthem as well,” Jansen said. “So that always helps an extra 20 to 25 percent, and I’m very happy for them and I hope they are very proud of us.”
Haak echoed his coach’s sentiments.
“Our fans are always amazing. The atmosphere is always tough here in Philly, but I think when we see our traveling supporters here, it really gives us life,” Haak said. “It helps us, especially being right behind us in the second half when we have to do a lot of defending, just hearing those guys in the corner pushed us over the line and got us the win.”
Up Next: Eastern Conference Final vs. Inter Miami CF
NYCFC will face top-seeded Inter Miami CF in the Eastern Conference Final. Match details, including date, time, and location, will be announced in the coming days. The match will be broadcast on Apple TV’s MLS Season Pass, with radio coverage available in English and Spanish at newyorkcityfc.com/radio.
Miami finished the regular season with the best record in MLS and features global superstars Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez, and Sergio Busquets.
Moralez acknowledged the challenge ahead.
“We have another final next week, a difficult final,” Moralez said. ***”But now we need to enjoy this moment.
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