As weeks go, it has been an eventful one for NYCFC. They lost in heartbreaking fashion against Columbus last Saturday, but also added two new attacking forces from Brazil to the squad. Now, they travel across the country to visit LAFC and Carlos Vela.
The two teams have played only twice before and both games have ended in a 2-2 draw. Each team has an identical record in 2021 of 2 wins, 2 draws and 2 losses and the two teams match up on paper very well. Each team has big names returning from injury and they both are looking to get a win before the international break in early June.
For NYCFC, it is also about adding back injured players into the line up and integrating some new arrivals into the system. A full strength NYCFC with added offensive backup verses Carlos Vela’s and Deigo Rossi’s LAFC should be fun to watch.
“Everybody traveled with the team and now it is just a matter of fitness to see how long they can play” Ronny Deila said on Thursday in a press conference with the media. NYCFC were missing Anton Tinnerholm, Alexander Callens, Maxi Morales and Alfredo Morales from their starting line up the last two weeks. All of them are back including the two new Brazilian forwards they brought in.
Recent signing, Talles Magno, has the potential to grow into a big name not just in MLS but also in Europe. Courted by teams like Real Madrid and Liverpool, NYCFC pulled off a major coup to snatch him up when his team, Vasco De Gama, was relegated in Brazil. “I have to keep developing here in NYC and keep playing my game. My game is a happy game, ” he said to the media in a zoom call on Wednesday. But fans should still temper their excitement. He is coming off of a knee injury and is still developing fitness Deila said. Fans can hope to get a glimpse of him in the final 10-15 minutes of the game.
Overshadowed by Talles’s arrival was the arrival of another Brazilian with skill and pace, Thiago Andrade. He was signed back in February but has spent months now going through the visa process in order to work in the United States. Now he has arrived and he is more fit and ready to play than Talles according to Deila. NYCFC have needed a deeper bench when it comes to searching for a goal in the early part of the season. It seems that with the arrival of these two players relief has arrived.
LAFC have had their own injury woes with Carlos Vela being out most of this season, but he played 60 minutes last week. Bob Bradley alluded to the media that he may not be ready to go the full90 just yet. Deila had other thoughts. “He is going to play. He played last week and he is going to play. If he does not play then someone else does. We have to stop the whole team not just one player. We have to stop them from playing good as a team.”
One thing is certain. Both of these teams want and need a win after some recent results. Winning on the road in LA would go a long way towards putting the memories of heartbreaks against Toronto and Columbus in the past for NYCFC’s fans and allow the team to go into the international break with heads held high and new talent to integrate into the system.
