There are times this season that NYCFC have played truly beautiful soccer. Exciting and vibrant attacks and build up are what make the team so fun to watch. Saturday was not one of those times and the boys in blue fell to their rivals from across the Hudson River, 1-0.
The game was always going to be a bit marred in controversy after some questionable calls by referee Ismael Elfath during the two teams’ match up in mid-week. City were unable to play key playmaker Keaton Parks and key center back Maxime Chanot because both were sent off in the match up at Red Bull Arena. The ghost of that game would haunt NYCFC on Saturday in more ways than one.
NYCFC dominated possession but were unable to find many chances on goal because Red Bull seemed content to pack the box and try to expose City on a long counter. The effect made the game ugly to watch, but proved effective for Red Bull. In minute 43, Omir Fernandez connected off a cross from Kyle Duncan and put City behind for good. That goal was all Red Bull would need on the night as NYCFC wasted the chances they created in the second half.
Sep 25, 2021; New York, New York, USA; New York Red Bulls midfielder Omir Fernandez (21) scores a goal past New York City FC goalkeeper Sean Johnson (1) in front of midfielder Nicolas Acevedo (26) and midfielder Dru Yearwood (16) and midfielder James Sands (16) during the first half at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
It was a game that sent the NYCFC fans home shaking their heads and wondering how their team got so derailed. NYCFC were only able to take one point out of two games against their eleventh place rival. The game was ugly to watch and NYCFC lost to an opponent they should by all means beat even without two of their starting eleven. Their performance was not good enough and Anton Tinnerholm spoke to that after the match and about the need to get things right in the mid-week match up against Chicago.
“It’s crucial now, maybe the game of the season coming up. I think we all have to understand where we are now. We’ve been talking like we are one of the best teams in the league and we still think we are, but we have to show it on the pitch now. We’ve been struggling a little bit in the end now and haven’t gotten the results we wanted so we have to go out there and show some character and show that togetherness that we talked about all season. Some games you’re going to struggle but you have to get the results. Now is not the time to play in a fantastic way like Brazil, now it’s just about the results. I think now in the end of the season we have to turn this around as quickly as possible. All the teams in the league are going to have a bad period, hopefully we can jump back on the horse and start running again.”
If NYCFC, want to make a run in the playoffs, they need to start winning games they should win at home and they must find a way to win on the road. The Eastern Conference is packed with teams all on the bubble of making the play offs and three points is all that stands between sitting in third place or in eighth. Ronny Deila seemed aware of this after the game Saturday.
“The last few games we should have won, I think you were there on Wednesday so we don’t need to go into that one more time. The game before that we won and then we drew. We weren’t at our best for the Dallas game and then today we were not happy with this performance and weren’t at our best. The two other games I think we played really well. It’s not like a pattern that we play bad, we simply haven’t gotten enough points and we know that was a different situation on Wednesday. I’m not too concerned by anything; things go up and down in a season and I think we just have to keep focused and be clear minded to get the best out of the squad. We can play good football.”
NYCFC and Red Bull face off again on October 17th in New Jersey. City will have another chance to show fans and the MLS that NYC is blue, but to do that they need to play good football and finish their chances when they have them.
New York City FC
