Talles Magno's late goal gives New York City FC a win at DC United

New York City FC won 1-0 at Audi Field with more of the ball and more shots than usual, but fewer good chances than they normally create.

Talles Magno's goal in the 87th minute was the only one at Audi Field, and it came after a match that had stayed level for almost all of its length. Bénie Adama Traoré set up the chance, and Magno finished it to give New York City FC the points. Before that moment the match told two stories, one about the ball and one about the chances, and they did not agree.

New York City FC had 61% of the ball, well above their usual away share of 53.8%. That is the unusual part of this result. A side that normally keeps about half the possession on the road had a clear majority of it here, and used it to take 14 shots against an away average of 10.3. Ten of those shots came from inside the box, where chances are most likely to become goals, compared with six for DC United.

DC United, by contrast, were close to their normal numbers. They had 39% of the ball against a home average of 38.8%, and 12 shots, near the league average of 12.9 for a side in a match. Nothing about their share of the play was out of the ordinary. What was missing was a goal, because they usually score 0.9 at home and this time they scored none.

Shots alone do not show how good the chances were, so it helps to look at expected goals. This measures the quality of each chance, based on where it was taken from and how it was struck, so a close range tap-in counts for far more than a shot from distance. On that measure DC United finished on 0.87, against a home average of 1.33, and New York City FC on 1.08's side of the same comparison, with their away average sitting at 1.08. Both sides created fewer good chances than usual, and the league average is 1.45 per side.

The home defence deserves credit too. DC United usually concede chances worth 1.54 expected goals at home, and New York City FC created less than that in this match. M. Freese, the visiting goalkeeper, made five saves from shots that did find the target, so the home attack still forced him into work. Those saves kept a side that had more of the ball from doubling its tally.

Magno had five shots, four of them on target, and his finish from the 87th minute was the only goal of the night. He ended the match with a rating of 8.2, the highest of any player listed in the report, and that rating reflects a forward who made the most of the chances that came his way.

Two of the three yellow cards went to New York City FC, who also committed 15 fouls to DC United's 8. The visitors leave with a win on the road, and the home side leave with a scoreless afternoon that their usual numbers did not predict.

Player of the matchTalles Magno1 goal8.2

M. Freese5 saves7.9

T. Gray1 chance created7.2

N. Fernández Mercau5 chances created7.2