Miami (AFP) – Sixth seeds New York City upset FC Cincinnati on penalties on Saturday to advance to the Eastern Conference semi-finals of the MLS Cup playoffs. After sharing the opening two games of their best-of-three first round series, City and Cincinnati finished Saturday’s decider deadlocked at 0-0 after 90 minutes. That set up a nerve-jangling penalty shoot-out that was eventually won 6-5 by New York after Mitja Ilenic buried City’s ninth spot-kick into the top corner.
Cincinnati goalkeeper Roman Celentano had single-handedly kept his team alive earlier in the shoot-out, denying what would have been match-winning strikes from Thiago Martins and Kevin O’Toole. But Cincinnati’s luck ran out after New York goalkeeper Matthew Freese saved from Teenage Hadebe with his team’s ninth kick. That set up Ilenic for the chance to seal victory, and the Slovenian made no mistake, coolly converting from the spot to send New York into an Eastern Conference semi-final derby clash against New York Red Bulls.
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In other MLS playoff action on Saturday, Orlando City SC advanced to the Eastern Conference semi-finals after a 4-1 penalty shoot-out win over Charlotte in Florida. Charlotte appeared to be heading for victory in the series decider after Polish international Karol Swiderski fired them into a 1-0 lead in the 81st minute.
But Orlando equalised in the 12th minute of stoppage time when Facundo Torres bundled in the rebound from a penalty that was awarded when Djbril Diani was adjudged to have pulled Duncan McGuire’s shirt in the area. That sent the game to penalties where Orlando goalkeeper Pedro Gallese saved Charlotte’s opening two spot-kicks in the shootout, setting up Rafael Santos to score the decisive penalty. Charlotte will face either Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami or Atlanta in the semi-finals.
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