By all accounts, New York City Football club have to be frustrated with the results of this weekend. Their draw with Vancouver saw them fall a spot into third place behind their rivals, the Red Bulls. It was a frustrating night for fans as NYCFC dominated possession and chances but could not find a way to finish off the game when it counted.
The starting eleven raised a few eyebrows with new signing, Valentin Castellanos starting up top along with Jo Inge Berget and Ismael Tajouri-Shradi. Jesus Medina dropped into the midfield and Ezekiel Okifor was left off the team sheet entirely. Vancouver started a very conservative side keeping their star player, Alphonso Davies, in reserve and rested for the Canadian Open Cup this week. All the stars seemed to be aligned for a big night for NYC. Atlanta had tied Toronto earlier in the day and the team had a chance to gain ground in the Eastern Conference with a win.
This optimism soon soured, however, as Vancouver drew first blood. Against the run of play Nicolas Mezquida slotted one home in the twenty second minute past Brad Stuver, playing for the injured Sean Johnson. NYCFC kept up their pace and equalized right before half with a nice run and assist from Anton Tinnerholm. He found Jesus Medina with a nice pass from touch and the young DP scored his fourth goal in his last five games. Things looked brighter still when Berget made a wonderful move to find Castellanos for the go ahead goal just out of the locker room.
But despite controlling the ball 73% of the time for the game and outshouting their opponents twenty two to eight, NYCFC could not keep Vancouver from drawing even in minute 87 when Brek Shea made a nice cross to Erik Hurtado. Ben Sweat, who had just entered the game, lost his man and Hurtado made NYCFC pay.
The draw and subsequent win by Red Bulls puts both squads tied with 44 points behind Atlanta’s 48. Red Bull lead in goal differential and so take possession of second place in the East. They also have a game in hand on NYCFC.
There were bright spots for the club on the night. Castellanos looks like the real deal. He has pace and good technical skill. He is also more muscular than the average teenager and harder to push off the ball. It is no coincidence that he scored in his first game out and NYCFC will be more dangerous with him on the team going forward. Also this was the last game without David Villa. The star striker had to sit out against Vancouver because he was not fully healthy to play in the all star game earlier in the week. In fact, Villa was who NYCFC needed down the stretch.
The team looked a bit tired and complacent at the end of the match and got punished for it. They all coud have benefited by Villa’s heart and drive to not only succeed but do even more damage to a reeling Vancouver squad. In the end who knows but that MLS rule keeping Villa out could have possibly cost NYCFC a spot in the Supporters Shield race.
The game ended as a draw, NYCFC kept their home unbeaten streak alive, but by all accounts it felt like a loss to the fans. NYC lost a spot in the table. They lost a chance to catch up to Atlanta in the points race and they might need those two lost points to get into the Champions Cup for next season. Next up NYCFC face a resurgent and desperate Toronto squad on the road. Road wins have been tough to come by for NYCFC but they must step up and find a way to win next week. Anything else will still feel like a loss.
