In his post-match press conference, Nick Cushing said of his New York City FC's penalty-kick triumph in the decisive Game 3 on the road against FC Cincinnati: "I was 40 this morning and I feel 60 now."
Yes, the NYCFC head coach celebrated a milestone birthday on the same day his team held firm to earn a 0-0 road draw for 90 minutes, then outlasted the hosts in a highly chaotic shootout that required 18 attempts and was decided by 19-year-old New York City right-back Mitja Ilenič burying his penalty in the far corner of Roman Celentano's goal.
Ilenič was one of two unlikely defensive heroes – along with midfielder-turned-center-back Justin Haak – who somewhat unexpectedly carried New York City through this grueling Round One match-up with Cincinnati.
Those two players aren't what you would call regular starters in the New York City defense this season, though Ilenič saw a healthy chunk of minutes at right-back over the long 2024 campaign.
Haak has barely played as a center-back through his early MLS career, his appearances in central defense in the teens, yet he now seems entrenched as Thiago Martins's partner for as long as this New York City playoff run continues.
Matthew Mangam
Ilenič and Haak were part of a backline that did what was necessary to keep Cincinnati's danger men – Luciano Acosta, Luca Orellano, and Yuya Kubo – quiet and off the scoresheet, helped plenty by the steady work of Matt Freese in goal.
This performance snapped a streak of 15 consecutive New York City FC matches without keeping a clean sheet, with the team finally hanging a zero on its opponent in what is, to date, the biggest match of the season.
The clean sheet got NYCFC to penalties, where the combined heroics of Freese, Haak, and finally Ilenič got New York City over the line. Freese saved three Cincinnati penalty attempts, though had to watch as his own teammates kept missing chance after chance to win the shootout.
Haak stepped up to rescue New York City first, converting a penalty he absolutely had to make, otherwise he and his teammates's season would have ended following a Miles Robinson conversion for Cincinnati.
During Leagues Cup, Haak converted a shootout-winning penalty on the road against New England Revolution, and after that match, he told NYCFC radio announcer Glenn Crooks that that had been his first-ever penalty kick attempt in a game.
Fast forward three months and Haak stepped up to take his second-ever penalty, a kick even more consequential than his first (sorry, Leagues Cup truthers).
He made the finish look easy, powering his shot home even despite Celentano guessing correctly on his preferred PK location. That capped off a second straight sterling performance from Haak, who was a machine on defense at Citi Field while NYCFC labored to preserve its lead and seal the Game 2 victory.
Haak's penalty was, amazingly, the last one either team would convert until Ilenič stepped up with the match on the line. When Mitja did take that walk to the penalty spot, it was clear almost instantly that the young Slovenian defender was up to the task.
He showed no signs of nerves and chatted lightheartedly with the Cincinnati goalkeeper Celentano, apparently about whether or not Ilenič would try a Panenka. This was not an overmatched, overexcited teenager running up there and whacking his attempt into Row Z.
In the postgame presser with Mitja Ilenič, asked what word were exchanged with Roman Celentano Mitja: "Celentano said 'No chip, no chip,' but I told him I was confident I would score, and I buried it in the corner"
— Hudson River Blue (@hudsonriverblue.bsky.social) November 9, 2024 at 6:58 PM
Ilenič kept his cool and placed his penalty perfectly into the corner, giving Celentano no chance to save it even if he'd guessed the shot's location correctly. The winning penalty made it two straight playoff games in which Ilenič played a vital role – remember, Mitja also got the assist on Alonso Martínez's opening goal in the Game 2 win at Citi Field.
The young fullback only started that Game 2 due to Tayvon Gray being suspended after being sent off late in Game 1 – but Ilenič retained his place for Game 3, with Gray not even included in the match day squad as he reportedly deals with a personal issue that kept him from traveling to Ohio for this game.
Gray looked like a major absence for New York City, after all, the Bronx-born defender had notched one goal and seven assists in his 33 appearances in all competitions this season.
New York City has needed Ilenič to step up while Gray has been out and he's done that, and they've really needed Haak to fill in for a less-than-100%-healthy Birk Risa, who featured in Game 1 but hasn't been seen since in this series, not seeming to be 100% healthy since suffering an ankle injury late this summer.
The team also needed Ilenič and Haak to come up big in part because New York City did not get enough out of its attacking talent during this three-game stint playing Cincinnati, with both matches played at TQL Stadium best described as "slogs" that were almost entirely devoid of good NYCFC scoring chances.
That they live to see another round of the playoffs rests on the shoulders of players who have been performing for NYCFC all season long – like Matt Freese, Thiago Martins, Santiago Rodríguez – but this playoff run might have ended if not for the unexpected contributions the team has gotten from Haak and Ilenič in these last two games.
Cincinnati is in the rearview, even without a regulation win earned by NYCFC at TQL Stadium during this series. No matter, now we get to collectively turn our collective attention to what will be the biggest, most important Hudson River Derby in the rivalry's history.
If Cushing feels 60 now after watching all that unfold at TQL Stadium, how old will he feel watching his NYCFC go head-to-head with the New York Red Bulls in a win-or-go-home playoff game? Playoff derby stress might make age 40 feel like the new age 90, but that's for another day after yet another international break.
For now, New York City can celebrate and keep the dream of winning MLS Cup 2024 alive, thanks to an unlikely pair of young defenders.
