New York City FC’s 2-1 triumph over the Philadelphia Union on Wednesday night was momentarily overshadowed by an unusual pitch invader. During the first half, a raccoon, soon nicknamed "Raquinho," made its way onto the field, causing a delay of approximately 161 seconds, according to MLS Communications.
The raccoon appeared in the 21st minute, entering the penalty area on NYCFC’s side of the field. It then scampered towards the other end, where New York had a throw-in, before heading back down the field. The stadium staff attempted to capture the furry intruder using empty trash cans. “You thought [Lionel] Messi matches had pitch invaders,” joked former MLS player Calen Carr on the Apple TV+ broadcast.
The pursuit continued as the raccoon returned to the other end of the field, with staffers in hot pursuit. “This is marvelous entertainment,” play-by-play commentator Callum Williams remarked during the broadcast. “Very nearly got away. Go on, raccoon,” Williams added. “Very nearly got away. You can get out. Don’t hurt him! They got it. They got the raccoon!” Eventually, the raccoon was captured and received a cheer from the Union’s supporters as it was carried off in a trash can.
The Philadelphia Union later confirmed via social media that the raccoon was safely released.
“Unofficially, Raquinho the Raccoon spent 161 seconds on the field tonight, which was the most by a raccoon in @MLS history,” MLS Communications tweeted.
NYCFC joined in the fun, posting memes of the raccoon on social media, while Los Templados, one of their supporter groups, shared an image of a raccoon holding a New York City jersey.
On the field, Alonso Martinez and Hannes Wolf scored in the first half to secure a 2-1 victory for NYCFC. Philadelphia’s Julian Carranza scored shortly after halftime, but it wasn’t enough to prevent the Union from suffering their fourth consecutive home loss, a record streak for the club. NYCFC, now with a 6-5-2 record and 20 points, are on a strong run with 5 wins in their last 8 matches. The Union, on the other hand, have now gone six matches without a win (0-4-2), last tasting victory against Nashville SC on April 6.
New York City’s victory sets them up for the Hudson River Derby against the Red Bulls at Citi Field, while the Union look to regroup after their latest setback.
