Sean Johnson notches 11th clean sheet as NYCFC blanks Inter Miami

Updated: May 17, 2023, 04:55 am

Valentin Castellanos had a goal disallowed in what might have been his final game for New York City Football Club, who ran their unbeaten streak to six games with a 2-0 victory over visiting Inter Miami CF Saturday night.

Castellanos exited to a standing ovation from the crowd and shared a hug with Maxi Moralez when he was subbed in by Heber in the 61st minute.

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While it is not official, reports surfaced earlier this week that Castellanos was being loaned to Girona FC of LaLiga in Spain.

Castellanos nearly scored his 14th goal of the season and would have been a goal in his fifth straight game, but his goal was overturned via a video review in the 32nd minute. It would have been the 51st of his MLS career.

Moralez scored his first goal of the season in the 12th minute, and Heber scored late as NYCFC (12-4-5, 41 points) improved to 4-0-2 since its loss at Eastern Conference leader Philadelphia on June 26.

The defending champions also ran their home unbeaten streak at all venues to 10 games (7-0-3) since their 2-0 loss at Yankee Stadium to Philadelphia on March 19.

NYCFC goalie Sean Johnson made four saves for his league-leading 11th clean sheet and his third straight.

Inter Miami (7-10-4, 25 points) was unable to get its third two-game winning streak this season and dropped to 0-5-2 in its past seven road games. Inter Miami also fell to 0-5-0 all-time against NYCFC.

Inter Miami goalie Drake Callender made four saves.

Moralez scored his first regular-season goal since Oct. 23 moments after pressuring Miami's Alejandro Pozuelo into a giveaway. He slipped past a defender on the right side of the box and scored on a rebound from a tough angle after the initial shot was stopped.

Castellanos was denied on a diving save in 26th minute and then finished off a brilliant sequence in the middle of the box, only to be called for offsides.

Heber made it 2-0 when he used his left foot and dove to the grass as he released shot from the middle box in the 75th for his sixth goal of the season.