NYCFC has beugn defense of their MLS Cup championship with a 3-0 victory over Inter Miami CF in the first round of the 2022 Audi MLS Cup playoffs at Citi Field.
After a first half that saw the Boys In Blue go close multiple times, Gabriel Pereira and Maxi Moralez scored six minutes apart to put the champions 2-0 ahead.
Heber added a third late on as NYCFC recorded their fifth consecutive playoff victory to advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals where they will face second-seed Montreal on Sunday afternoon.
Story of the match
Manager Nick Cushing made three changes to the side that beat Atlanta in the regular season finale with Anton Tinnerholm, Santiago Rodriguez and Heber coming in for the injured trio of Tayvon Gray, Talles Magno and Alfredo Morales.
It was Alejandro Pozuelo, long a nemesis of the Boys In Blue, who had the first chance of the match, but he curled his shot wide. Sean Johnson then tipped Robert Taylor's strike over the bar.
NYCFC were unlucky not to break the deadlock as Rodriguez nodded Pereira's corner to Thiago Martins, the Brazilian crashing one off the crossbar.
A frantic sequence saw Miami nearly score into their own net twice. Aime Mabika tried to clear Heber's chip off the line, clanging his own bar and Cristopher McVey followed up by clearing off his own post.
Gonzalo Higuain, playing what turned out to be his last career match, thought he had given the Herons the lead after finishing past Johnson, but after video review, the goal was ruled out for offsides.
Jean Mota then forced the Boys In Blue All-Star goalkeeper into another save with a low drive before Higuain blasted wide.
At halftime, NYCFC outshot Miami 16-4, the largest difference in a playoff game since 2011.
The start of the second half saw Higuain test Johnson once again, punching away a shot that was headed for the far post.
In the 57th minute, the hosts took the lead. Rodriguez held up play brilliantly and played the ball into the path of Pereira, who curled into the top corner past Drake Callender.
Six minutes later, the champions doubled their advantage. Rodriguez took Tinnerholm's pass and clipped a back-heeled through ball to Moralez and he finished across the face of goal.
Callender had to be alert to more danger, stopping Kevin O'Toole and Thiago Andrade before Heber put the game to bed, slotting home on the rebound after Callender had saved his initial shot.
Man of the match: Maxi Moralez
You need your best players to step up in the biggest games and that's exactly what NYCFC's midfield maestro did. He controlled play in the center of the pitch, moved with and without the ball beautifully and the goal was no more than he deserved for what Cushing called "a masterclass".