NYCFC Midfielder Hit by Object Thrown By Fan After Goal in MLS Cup Final

A fan was ejected and banned from Providence Park after throwing an object at NYCFC's Jesús Medina.

NYCFC midfielder Jesús Medina was hit by an object thrown by a fan late in the first half of the MLS Cup final on Saturday against the Timbers in Portland. 

As he ran to celebrate Taty Castellanos's 41st-minute goal near the corner flag, Medina fell to the floor after the object appeared to hit his arm. Another object was thrown onto the field as the NYCFC players pleaded with the Portland crowd to stop.

Jesús Medina was hit by an object thrown from the crowd after NYCFC scored. pic.twitter.com/n0ptX7nR1u

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) December 11, 2021

By the end of halftime, the Timbers announced on Twitter that the fan who threw the object had been ejected from the game and banned from Providence Park. After the match, the Portland Police Bureau said it made two arrests, charging a pair of fans with misdemeanor crimes.

Castellanos, who won the MLS Golden Boot with 19 goals on an assist tiebreaker over D.C. United's Ola Kamara, scored the opening goal when he headed a free kick across goal and off the far post.

NYCFC scores the opener, and of course it comes from Taty Castellanos! The visitors take the lead through the MLS Golden Boot winner #MLSCup

(via @MLS) pic.twitter.com/J6l4UIWXOD

— SI Soccer (@si_soccer) December 11, 2021

NYCFC wound up winning its first MLS Cup title in penalty kicks, withstanding a dramatic stoppage-time equalizer from Portland's Felipe Mora that forced extra time and persevering in a penalty-kick shootout.