New York City Football club continued their downward spiral Wednesday night at Red Bull Arena falling to DC United by a score of 2-1. The game marked a stretch of seven games with only one win for last year’s MLS Cup champions. To quote Hamlet, “something is rotten in the state of NYCFC.” Okay, he actually says Denmark, but you get the picture.
Since the departure of Taty Castellanos, NYCFC have been a shell of their former selves, scoring 10 goals in the seven games but allowing 13. The stat clarifies that it is not just the departure of their star striker that is the problem. Injuries to Keaton Parks, Alexander Callens, Anton Tinnerholm, Thiago Martins, and Alfredo Morales have caused a mish-mash patchwork of a defense and midfield that have been an error machine. Wednesday night was no different with Ola Kamara getting basically a tap in off an easy and uncontested cross by Chris Durkin from the right. Not a single NYCFC player near Kamara as he tapped it home.
This is another disturbing pattern in recent games for NYCFC. The team gives up easy goals and then has to chase a result for most of the game. The response was good on Wednesday as just three minutes later Malte Amundsen sent a good ball into Heber who powered a shot past David Ochoa. It was Heber’s seventh goal of the season and something he will have to do more of in future games.
Aug 31, 2022; Harrison, New Jersey, USA; New York City FC forward Heber (9) plays the ball as D.C. United defender Donovan Pines (23) defends during the first half at Red Bull Arena. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
NYCFC would give up another goal in the 57th minute off a free kick when Martin Rodriguez found an unmarked Steven Birnbaum in the box for a header. This was almost exactly the same scenario as last weekend’s loss to Orlando except DC did not wait until the last second of the game to score the winner.
After the game I asked Nick Cushing what he had to say to the players and the fans after a run of results like this. “Of course we know at the moment we are not giving the fans what they deserve. At the same time, that’s not for the will, the fight, the hunger and the desire to give them what they want. As the Head Coach, I see in moments and many moments to turn this run around. There are many factors at the moment. We are rolling with a really small roster and you can see the tiredness today in their legs from the previous match. We tried to freshen it up and I thought the spirit of the group was great. You see that at the end they were really pushing the game and driving the game. It just didn’t happen for us, but of course we have to continue to work and continue to ask the fans to stay behind us and continue to push us. In this difficult moment we have to be together.”
But the fans are souring on Cushing as calls for a new coach have started to spring up on Twitter. Since the departure of Ronny Deila mid-season Cushing has had mixed results but the team has fallen from first in the East to fourth with just six games to go.
Aug 31, 2022; Harrison, New Jersey, USA; New York City FC interim head coach Nick Cushing looks on against D.C. United during the second half at Red Bull Arena. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
The injuries to Parks and Morales may be the most hurtful for NYCFC. Right now, there is no central midfield player stepping up into the mid block behind the high press from the front three. When balls are coughed up there is no one there to collect them or apply extra pressure. This scheme worked so well under Deila, but it required a team effort and number sixes that could step up and defend from the front. Right now it seems too easy for teams to sit and play in the middle of the park. Justin Haak spoke to this after the match. “I think we need to press the other team a lot better, force them to kick it long so we can pick up the loose ball. I think the two six’s and the front four need to be working together, and be more connected.”
Cushing finally put in a midfielder who gave it an effort last night but it was too little and too late. Gedion Zelalem had been the immediate replacement for Keaton Parks under Deila but Cushing has yet to use him in that role until last night. It almost paid dividends at the end of the game when Zelalem sent a great shot from distance screaming to ward the right corner of the goal only to be parried away by a good save from Ochoa.
Cushing liked what he saw. “We became a little more offensive in the midfield bringing on Gedion [Zelalem], we know what he will give us. He is really good on the ball and starts to link the play. I thought his influence was really good when he came on.”
There were excuses all around after the game. Tiredness, a busy schedule, injury, lack of training time, but there is something not quite right about NYCFC on the pitch at the moment and the team will look to right the ship this weekend on the road against a struggling New England squad. It is only fitting that last year’s Supporters Shield winner and MLS Cup Champs will face off to try and save each other’s fading seasons this year.
