With three goals in eleven minutes, the Philadelphia Union gave the current MLS champion New York City FC a blow; the Argentinian Julián Carranza was the protagonist with a goal and an assist
Reigning MLS champions New York City FC will not be able to retain their 2021 title after losing 3-1 to the Philadelphia Union in the Eastern Conference final.
The great protagonist of the match was the Argentinian Julián Carranza, who participated with goals and assists in two of the three goals that Philadelphia scored against NYCFC.
The highlight is that New York started the game winning thanks to its top star Maximiliano Morález, who put his team ahead with a low cross shot from outside the box.
However, when everything was shaping up for the return to the NYCFC final, it took 11 minutes for everything to change with the reaction of the Union and three goals that left New York cold.
The first of them was achieved by the Union by taking advantage of a defensive distraction by the Peruvian Alexander Callens to equalize the duel with Carranza, who struck down the rival goalkeeper with a right cross that entered the second post.
Two minutes later, Carranza himself enabled Daniel Gazdag to score the 2-1 target at will and complete the comeback.
It was a psychological blow for New York City, which succumbed definitively in minute 76, when Cory Burke scored the 3-1 after recovering a ball against Justin Haak and traveled more than fifty meters to define with his left foot against Johnson.
Now for the first time since 2003, the MLS Cup final will measure the leader of the West, Los Angeles FC, with the Union, leader of the East; the best possible final for two teams that are one step away from being crowned champions.
A clash of styles and philosophies that will give its verdict next Saturday at the Banc of California in Los Angeles, where the new MLS Cup champion will be crowned. Both LAFC and Union will fight for the first league title in their history .