Recap: Comunicaciones 4, New York City FC 2 (5-5 aggregate: NYCFC advance on away goals)

New York City FC became the first MLS team to reach the semifinals of the 2022 Concacaf Champions League, advancing on the away goals tiebreaker over Comunicaciones following a 4-2 loss Tuesday night in their quarterfinal second leg that leveled the aggregate 5-5 at Estadio Nacional Mateo Flores in Guatemala City.

NYCFC will face either Seattle Sounders FC or Club Leon in the semifinals. The Sounders lead 3-0 on aggregate heading into the second leg of their quarterfinal tie Thursday at Estadio Leon (8:30 pm ET | FS1, TUDN).

Taty Castellanos negated the road goal Comunicaciones picked up in the first leg with his CCL-leading fourth tally in the 31st minute, a free kick from 32 yards out curled around a four-man wall and tucked inside the post.

Andrés Lezcano leveled for the hosts just before halftime, but Talles Magno put the defending MLS Cup champions back in front with a critical second road goal, heading in a Castellanos service from 10 yards out in the 53rd minute.

Nicolas Samayoa and Lynner García responded with goals three minutes apart, then José Contreras leveled the tie with a distance strike that froze Sean Johnson two minutes from full time – all ahead of a heart-pounding six minutes of second-half stoppage time that didn't yield another goal.

Goals

• 31’ — NYC — Taty Castellanos | WATCH
• 45’ — COM — Andrés Lezcano | WATCH
• 53’ — NYC — Talles Magno | WATCH
• 69’ — COM — Nicolas Samayoa | WATCH
• 72’ — COM — Lynner García | WATCH
• 88’ — COM — José Contreras | WATCH

Three Things 

• THE BIG PICTURE: NYCFC continue to make club history. A few months removed from winning a first MLS Cup title, they’re in the semifinals of the Concacaf Champions League for the first time despite a 4-2 loss in the second leg to a Comunicaciones side that upset the Colorado Rapids in the Round of 16. Three unanswered goals by Los Cremas made things too close for comfort, but NYCFC survived and advanced.
• MOMENT OF THE MATCH: This golazo by Taty Castellanos wasn’t just aesthetically pleasing. It also was a massive road goal NYCFC needed to book their semifinal ticket.

• MAN OF THE MATCH: Castellanos is currently in the CCL Golden Boot lead with four goals and he set up Magno’s second-half tally, hustling to track down an attempted clearance before delivering an inch-perfect service into the box.

Next Up

• COM: Sunday, March 20 vs. Cobán Imperial | 7 pm ET | Liga Nacional de Guatemala
• NYC: Saturday, March 19 vs. Philadelphia Union | 1 pm ET (MLS LIVE on ESPN+ in US; on DAZN in Canada) | MLS regular season