PORTLAND, Ore. – Ronny Deila is a man of his word.
Minutes later New York City FC won his first MLS Cup, beating Portland Wood through punishment, Deila, the coach took off his underwear in front of the team’s fans and performed a shove on the field of Providence Park.
This is not the first time Deila has performed such a stunt. In 2009, he promised supporters of the team he was managing at the time, Norwegian side Stromsgodset, that he would quit if they avoided relegation. When his side avoids a drop of water, he still keeps his oath.
When taking over NYCFC ahead of the 2020 campaign, he told ESPN he would be in for a repeat performance if his team wins the MLS Cup. But when reminded this week of his commitment, he seemed a little cautious.
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“We’ll see, we’ll see,” he said on Thursday. “As you start to get older, it’s not fun anymore. But at the same time, a word is a word. First, we have to win. That’s the most important thing.”
With the team’s first trophy, Deila kept her promise once again, although it took some words of encouragement from NYCFC fans.
So which is better: stripping when avoiding relegation or when your team wins a title?
“The last one, of course,” he said after the game, though he noted that the 2009 win was also important. “You have to celebrate the win and today is a big win. I said maybe too much when I was hired here, but I don’t regret it. It was an important moment. I will do it. That’s again if we keep winning titles.”
Deila is a coach who has long been associated with “heavy football”, strong pressing and fast passing. A small surprise, then, was that his NYCFC faction showed a lot of steel to prevail against the Timbers.
The Blues have certainly proven they can knock a punch. Or in this case, an elbow. New York were seconds away from being able to claim victory in normal time, after overcoming a Valentin Castellanos header in the first half and some stellar defense throughout the game. But in stoppage time, a scramble for mouth’s goal ensued, in which the Timbers defenders Larrys Mabiala appeared to defame the New York counterpart Maxime Chanot with one elbow while trying to keep the play alive. The ball fell Felipe Mora, who sent the ball home with the last kick of the second half.
It was a goal that looked like a moment of total destruction for the Bronx team. The home audience at Providence Park, frustrated all day at what had transpired, exploded with joy. Chanot was dumbfounded at the unsuccessful call, begging referee Armando Villarreal to request a VAR review, but to no avail. Looks like New York won’t be able to continue. How can the Blues regain their composure? Even the first half of extra time saw the Cityzens look a bit tired.
“In the first moment, it was devastating,” said the midfielder Alfredo Morales. “But it is so. You have to get up, stick together, breathe, stay calm and just do your job.”
It helps this isn’t the first time NYCFC has conceded a late equalizer in the knockout stages. In the semi-finals of the Eastern Conference against New England Revolution, the Blues surrendered a late goal just to gain the upper hand on the penalty spot. As Saturday’s scenario played out, New York drew on that experience, and despite giving up some clear views on goal in extra time, NYCFC managed to take the game to a penalty shootout.
“I just want to make sure we stay consistent,” said the goalkeeper Sean Johnson. “We’ve been in that position before. I told you, we have the experience not to panic, not to put yourself down, because there are many opportunities to go forward and win in the competition. game.”
In that moment, the most calm man was Johnson. The NYCFC keeper almost sucked all the film out of the shootout, saving Portland’s first two attempts and leaving it to the defender Alexander Callens to take home the winner, at which point the trophy headed to the Bronx.
“Too many ups and downs,” Johnson said in reflection on the game – and the season as a whole. “And we just talked to each other before the game and just said, ‘It’s a huge opportunity to make it all worth it.’ And this is what we live for, the moments of being the MVP of the final. It means the world but lifting the trophy for this club means so much more.”
It was a day where a lot of players stepped up. Chanot and Callens are almost immaculate in the background. Castellanos returned to the squad and scored a goal and a penalty in the penalty shootout. James Sands and Morales sharp in midfield.
But Johnson is one of those players that reflects Deila’s unwavering mentality. Here’s a goalkeeper who has endured a number of moments of exhaustion in his career, including conceding a goal at the last second. El Salvador eliminated the U.S. U23 team from qualifying for the 2012 Olympics. He also spent some skinny years in Chicago, and when he was transferred to New York ahead of the 2017 season, it was unclear where his career would go. in which direction. But Johnson has gradually raised his game, given more responsibility. On Saturday, he made the team captain and walked away with the MVP award.
Deila said of Johnson: “The path he has advanced in the last two months has been absolutely unbelievable. “And for me, he’s the big, big winner. In the end he won us over in this game.
“The way he speaks to the team, the way he stays ahead every day in training, holds everyone together, and also when the big moment comes, how he stands out this time around. time after time. He’s a winner, a real winner, and he’s a leader. He’s a captain the club should be really, really proud of.”
Deila has shown her own level of confidence since arriving in New York. It’s easy to forget that his coaching career took off when he first joined. His time at Scottish giants Celtic was seen as a disappointment, despite winning two titles. Similar vibes surround his return to Norway with Valerenga. But he has led a New York team that has shown steady progress, and now after winning a title he finds himself on the upswing once again.
“In the end, if you always believe, keep working hard and improving, you’ll eventually get what you deserve,” Deila said. “And this team, what they did, they deserved to win the MLS this year, and they did it. I can’t believe how proud and grateful to be a part of it.”
That includes celebrations.
