Evander Sets MLS Record for Goals by a Brazilian-Born Player as FC Cincinnati Draw NYCFC 4-4

When the fourth official held up seven minutes of stoppage time at Yankee Stadium, New York City FC led by two and FC Cincinnati were down to a patched-together back line with a 17-year-old in the middle of it. What followed was the kind of finish that makes neutrals cancel their plans.

New York City FC and FC Cincinnati drew 4-4 on Wednesday night after Cincinnati scored twice in stoppage time: Andrei Chirila ripped one in from distance in the 92nd minute, and Evander buried a penalty in the 95th. That spot kick was the 44th MLS goal of Evander's career, and MLSsoccer.com and the club say it gave him the MLS record for most goals by a Brazilian-born player. For the first time in club history, per Cincinnati, the Orange and Blue scored twice in stoppage time.

Fernández Opens the Show

NYCFC started like the better team and kept it that way for most of an hour. Nicolás Fernández had two shots blocked in the eighth minute, Kevin O'Toole tested Roman Celentano from more than 35 yards, and Hannes Wolf was denied from close range in the 13th.

The opener came in the 20th minute when, per NYCFC, an Aiden O'Neill cross was spilled by Celentano and Fernández pounced from close range. Cincinnati's night was already getting complicated: they lost Teenage Hadebe to an injury in the 23rd minute, with Alvas Powell replacing him, after Nick Hagglund had been ruled out with an injury picked up in warmups, according to the club.

Kévin Denkey leveled it in the 32nd, finishing an Ender Echenique cross with his left foot. Three minutes later NYCFC were back in front. Maxi Moralez released Fernández on the break, and the forward finished from the right side of the box for his second of the night.

City Pull Away, Cincinnati Refuse to Leave

Powell went off injured at halftime, and Chirila came on and, per the club, played in the middle of the back line. NYCFC kept coming. Celentano saved from Agustín Ojeda and Wolf early in the half before Ojeda finally scored in the 53rd minute, finishing from a tight angle on the right after O'Neill sent him through on the break.

Cincinnati thought they had an instant reply when Evander whipped a shot past Matt Freese in the 57th minute, but VAR ruled it out for a foul in the buildup. Pat Noonan sent on Gerardo Valenzuela and Tah Brian Anunga at the hour, and in the 65th minute Denkey scored again, sweeping in from the middle of the box after a set piece with Valenzuela credited for the assist.

NYCFC answered once more. Talles Magno, a 72nd-minute substitute, fired a right-footed shot from the middle of the box into the top right corner in the 79th minute, with Ojeda supplying the assist. It was 4-2, and the Bronx was relaxed.

Then stoppage time happened. In the 92nd minute, Pavel Bucha teed up Chirila, and the teenager hit a left-footed shot from outside the box into the bottom right corner. A minute later, O'Toole brought down Evander in the box. Denkey, sitting on two goals, let Evander take the penalty, and the Brazilian rolled it into the bottom right corner.

Stars of a Wild Night

Nicolás Fernández scored twice on four shots and was a nightmare in transition.

Kévin Denkey scored twice on two shots. Efficient does not begin to cover it.

Evander had five shots, a goal chalked off by VAR, a penalty won and a penalty scored. MLSsoccer.com's list has him on 44 MLS goals, one ahead of Welton.

Andrei Chirila played a half at center back and scored the goal that made the comeback possible. Cincinnati say that at 17 years and 251 days, he became the youngest MLS goal scorer in club history.

Agustín Ojeda scored once and set up another for NYCFC.

Roman Celentano made five saves, a reminder that four goals conceded could have been more.

Turning Point: Chirila From Distance

At 4-2 in stoppage time, the smart money was on NYCFC seeing it out. Chirila's strike in the 92nd minute changed the entire temperature of the stadium, and suddenly every Cincinnati attack felt dangerous. The penalty that followed was the payoff.

Denkey explained the decision to hand Evander the ball. "So I know I will have more chances when I have Evander with me than against me," he said.

Stats That Matter

• Shots: NYCFC 17, Cincinnati 12. On target it was 9 to 6.
• Saves: Celentano made five, Freese two.
• Possession: NYCFC had 55.3 percent.
• Cards: Cincinnati were booked three times. NYCFC were not booked at all.
• Substitutes: Chirila, Valenzuela and Talles Magno all came off the bench to score or assist.

What It Means

NYCFC are 3-3-3 with 12 points, and this was their fifth straight league match without a win, a run that started with a 3-2 loss to Inter Miami on March 22. Throwing away a two-goal lead in stoppage time at home is the kind of result that lingers. They visit CF Montréal on Saturday.

Cincinnati are 2-3-4 with nine points. MLSsoccer.com had them 11th in the East but unbeaten in three straight, and all three of those matches were draws. Noonan, who was missing a long list of players, was proud of the fight but not of the defending. "That was a lot to throw at a group in a night," he said. "It doesn't, for me, it'll never justify conceding four goals." He added, "So it's a good point under the circumstances, but I'd like to see us still be more in control on the defensive side of the ball."

He also made sure to recognize Evander's record. "I know he takes a lot of pride in where he comes from and what he represents," Noonan said. Cincinnati host Red Bull New York on Saturday.

The Closing Take

This was a Marvel finale with too many characters and not enough defense, and it was glorious. NYCFC will spend the night wondering how a two-goal lead in stoppage time disappeared. Cincinnati will spend the trip home checking on their injury list and replaying a teenager's rocket on loop. Nobody won. Everybody watching did.

Stats from ESPN's match data. Postgame quotes as reported by FCCincinnati.com and MLSSoccer.com; additional details from NewYorkCityFC.com.