Djordje Mihailovic Answers Nicolás Fernández as NYCFC and Toronto FC Draw 1-1 at Yankee Stadium

Toronto FC had spent most of the first half chasing the game at Yankee Stadium when New York City FC handed it a lifeline. In the sixth minute of first-half stoppage time, a loose ball in the NYCFC defense let Josh Sargent in. His shot was blocked, Matt Freese saved Dániel Sallói's follow-up, and Djordje Mihailovic was waiting to sweep the rebound into the bottom right corner.

It was the last goal of the night. NYCFC and Toronto drew 1-1 on Friday night in the Bronx, with Nicolás Fernández's eighth-minute penalty and Mihailovic's equalizer the only goals in a match where both goalkeepers made four saves and neither team could find a winner after the break.

A Fast Start in the Bronx

NYCFC needed only six minutes to get in front. According to the club, Bénie Traoré lofted a pass over the top for Agustín Ojeda, and Richie Laryea pulled him down inside the box. Laryea was booked, and Fernández stepped up two minutes later and sent a left-footed penalty into the bottom right corner. NYCFC said it was his 13th MLS goal of the season, and Toronto's own recap noted that it pulled him level for the league lead in scoring.

The first half then turned into a scrappy, stop-start affair. Talles Magno and Fernández were both booked inside the opening 18 minutes, play was halted for injuries to Jonathan Osorio and Traoré, and six minutes were added. In between, there was some actual soccer: Freese saved a Sallói shot from distance in the 13th, and Luka Gavran stopped Talles Magno two minutes later.

Toronto grew into it. Sallói fired over from the middle of the box in the 34th, and Theo Corbeanu had a shot blocked in the 39th. Then came the stoppage-time sequence, which Toronto said began with Sargent pouncing on a defensive mistake. Mihailovic took one shot all night and made it count. Per Toronto, it was his second MLS goal of the season.

Gavran's Double Save

NYCFC came out of halftime flying. Traoré headed just wide from a Tayvon Gray cross in the 47th, and the 54th minute brought the best stretch of the night for the hosts. Gavran saved Talles Magno's header from point-blank range and then stopped Andrés Perea's shot from the right side of the six-yard box. Ojeda and Talles Magno both missed in the scramble that followed. Toronto said Gavran produced a pair of sharp reaction saves, and that undersells it.

James Sands and Jonathan Shore both had looks off set pieces in the 57th and 58th minutes. Head coach Pascal Jansen sent on Malachi Jones and Hannes Wolf in the 59th, and NYCFC said the appearance was Wolf's 100th for the club. Fernández dragged one just wide from outside the box in the 69th.

The Goal That Wasn't

Toronto thought it had stolen the lead shortly after the 70th minute. Both clubs said substitute Derrick Etienne Jr. cut the ball back for Sallói to finish, only for the offside flag to go up, and ESPN's feed logs Etienne offside in the 72nd minute.

The rest was a grind. NYCFC lost captain Thiago Martins to an injury, with Mitja Ilenic replacing him in the 86th. Gavran made his fourth save on a Perea strike from distance in the 83rd. Ilenic fired high in the 90th, Wolf had a shot blocked in the third minute of stoppage time, and at the other end Freese saved Sallói again before Jackson Gilman headed over in the fifth minute of stoppage time.

Who Stood Out

Luka Gavran made four saves for Toronto, including the 54th-minute double stop that kept the game level.

Matt Freese matched him with four saves of his own, and all four came against Sallói.

Dániel Sallói was Toronto's most persistent attacker with five shots, four of them on target. He was also the man who had his finish ruled out.

Andrés Perea put two of his three shots on target and, per NYCFC, finished the night operating as the lone striker after the substitutions.

Nicolás Fernández converted the penalty and nearly added a second in the 69th before coming off in the 86th.

Niklas Dorsch made his Toronto debut as a starter. Toronto said he became the 14th player to debut for the club this season.

The Turning Point

The stoppage-time equalizer. NYCFC was minutes away from taking a lead into the locker room. One loose moment in the back flipped the game, and the hosts spent the next 45 minutes trying to undo it.

Stats That Matter

• Shots: NYCFC 16, Toronto 13.
• Shots on target: 5 apiece.
• Saves: Freese 4, Gavran 4.
• Possession: Toronto 50.8 percent, NYCFC 49.2 percent.
• Clearances: NYCFC 37, Toronto 15.

What It Means

New York City FC moved to 7-5-6 with 26 points. Jansen had named an unchanged side after a 3-1 win over the Chicago Fire, and the draw ended a two-match winning run that also included a 2-1 victory at Columbus. Still, NYCFC is unbeaten in three league matches since the World Cup break, and it turns to Leagues Cup next.

Toronto moved to 3-8-7 with 17 points. The club said the match wrapped up a four-game road trip, which finished with three draws and a loss. Toronto has not won a league match since a 3-2 home win over the Colorado Rapids on April 4. Robin Fraser's team returns to BMO Field to host the New England Revolution on Aug. 15.

No Walk-Off in the Bronx

Yankee Stadium was built for walk-off moments. This one never came. NYCFC will look back at the 54th minute and wonder how Gavran kept that ball out, and Toronto will look back at that offside flag and wonder. A point each feels about right for a game where both teams had their chance and both goalkeepers refused to blink.

Stats from ESPN's match data. Match details as reported by New York City FC (newyorkcityfc.com) and Toronto FC (torontofc.ca).