With a dominant performance at home against Real Salt Lake on Wednesday, New York City Football Club solidified itself as an early Supporter’s Shield contender. The team now look to test their mettle against the closest rival in the MLS standings as they travel to Atlanta on Sunday. The game matches two of the highest powered attacks in the league with a combined total of nine goals being scored in the last games for either club. The key for NYCFC, however, might be in their defensive capability against a loaded Atlanta front line.
Against RSL Patrick Vieira’s men looked dominant from the start. Within two minutes Jo Inge Berget had broken through the back line and made Nick Rimando make a difficult save. Things would only get more uncomfortable for RSL from there on. NYCFC controlled the pitch and made RSL chase for 90 minutes. Mike Petke had this to say afterward, “We played against a superior team. A team that (Vieira) built up phenomenally in three years. Had a great conversation with Patrick in preseason and before this game tonight and my hat’s off to him. He’s (got) a player in every position that is technically gifted.”
NYCFC truly were superior in every aspect and the game could have been much worst than the 4-0 scoreline. New York City were everything Vieira wanted and accomplished much of the damage with standouts, David Villa and Alexander Ring on the bench. “I was really happy in the first half.” Vieira said, “I think we were well positioned on the field. We gave them a lot of problems, created the overload in the wide area; and I think tactically the players executed very well.”
Goals by Ismael Tajouri Shradi, Maxi Moralez, Berget, and Ebenezer Ofori had NYCFC fans celebrating all the way home from the Bronx and looking forward to the weekend match up with Atlanta United. Sunday’s game on the road should prove more of a test with City facing a raucous crowd and another team on a hot streak. Atlanta put up five goals at home against LAFC and New York City will have to stay disciplined and execute to perfection in order to emerge from Mercedes Benz Stadium with their undefeated record in tact.
Josef Martinez, Hector Villalba and Miguel Almiron combined to make one of the deadliest attacks in MLS last season and their team has only been buoyed by the addition of Darlington Nagbe in the off season. After an early slip up against Houston they have been red hot scoring thirteen goals in a four game stretch. Alexander Ring’s return to the line up for NYCFC could not come at a better time as he will be needed to solidify the defensive third of the pitch and break up the Atlanta attack. Ofori has been a solid replacement for Ring in the past few games but Ring’s dynamic ability to intercept and break up the opposing team’s passes cannot be replaced. He will be sorely needed on Sunday and the team will hope to create breakaways off his interceptions.
Vieira’s men have quite a powerful front line as well with almost every player up for consideration having scored at least one, if not multiple, goals this season. Shradi has been on a tear since entering the starting eleven and will most likely start again on Sunday. It will be the first time fans can see how he, Jesus Medina, and Villa will combine and create up front. All three players are extremely technically gifted, pacey, and possess the ability to score with both feet. They should cause havoc against a shaky but solid Atlanta back line. With Anton Tinnerholm and Ronald Matarrita streaking up front on the wings, NYCFC could prove potent indeed.
Arguably more important than the four goals for NYCFC against RSL was another clean sheet recorded by the team. This was their third in six games. Vieira called Alex Callens and Maxime Chanot two of the league’s best defenders after the game. NYCFC will need another strong showing from the two on Sunday to keep ATL off the score sheet. To help them Vieira may choose a more defensive minded starting squad by playing Ben Sweat and Rodney Wallace. Both players add a more physical and defensive presence on the ball but City will lose something on the attack. After the way Matarrita and Shradi played against RSL it will be hard not to include them at some point and if they are not in the starting line up look for them as the first ones off the bench.
Whatever happens Sunday, NYCFC will remain in first place in the East but a win for Atlanta puts them within striking distance with a game in hand. The stakes are high for both teams and the match promises to be one of the most entertaining ones to date in the season. Mercedes Benz Stadium will be packed with screaming fans eager to see their team end the unbeaten streak for NYCFC. City will look to extend the best start ever for their club and give the other teams in the league reason to fear them both at home and on the road.
There will be goals. There will be exciting soccer played by both teams and in the end it will come down to which team’s defense can hold up the best against a deluge of attacks. It may even come down to a battle between Sean Johnson and Brad Guzan for USMNT consideration. For sure, both keepers will be tested Sunday and both will have to come up big at some point. This one should be quite a ride.
