Decision Day was tough for many teams. It always is, but for one team it seemed really unexpected. Despite winning the game against Chicago Fire, results did not fall their way and two years after New York City Football Club won MLS Cup, The team failed to even make the playoffs for the first time since their inaugural season.
In fact, the team finished with their worst standing ever in history. NYCFC finished eleventh in the Eastern Conference. Jason Kreis’s team in 2015 finished eighth. Kreis was let go at the end of that season but head Coach, Nick Cushing, was already talking about how to improve next season.
“We conceded the second lowest amount of goals in the conference. We got the same amount of losses as we did when we finished third and the same amount of losses we did when we finished fourth. So, we can write the narrative of who’s got the worst record and who’s got the best. We have to look at our season, we have to reflect on where we get better. We haven’t scored enough goals. We’ve drawn far too many games. On our defensive side of the game, our ability to not lose games has been there or thereabouts. I actually would rather not lose some of the games. I don’t think we should lose against Philadelphia, but I have my reasons. I don’t think we should lose to Minnesota. I could talk about this all day because I reflect. My job as a Head Coach is to reflect on how we make sure we become the team that we have the potential to become. We haven’t scored enough goals. We have to be better. I’ve said before in press conferences, I think we’ve missed chances, and those chances will improve our results. I think the area in which we need to improve in is how we create better goal chances”
Cushing’s description of what the team could work on seems like the same thing that has been said all season and Saturday was no different. The team had to win and they came out looking more interested in the game than the did last match in DC. they created some chances in the first half but could not capitalize, made several disconnected passes and looked slow in the build up. The bright spot came when Julian Ferandez proved why he was so highly touted in Argentina and sent a screamer into the back of the net from outside the box in the 64th minute. NYCFC would hold firm and not concede from there out despite seeming to take their feet off the gas and be content to absorb pressure. The result held. NYCFC ended their season on a win but it was bitter sweet as result in the other matches did not go their way.
Keaton Parks summed the season up after the match. “Yeah, definitely a disappointing season. I don’t know what else to say. I think we put in the work all year, but results weren’t falling our way. Couldn’t score goals, we couldn’t finish out games when we had leads. It’s hard to say that we deserve a spot in the playoffs, but it just sucks. It’s disappointing, and we’re going to work our ass off this offseason and come back stronger next year.”
NYCFC were indeed already looking forward to next season even in the post match press conference. Cushing was asked if he was already thinking about who would return next season and he replied, “I think what you’ve got to look at is there’s a lot of real high potential individuals. You look at the young talent that we have, it’s only going to benefit us to continue to develop these players and to continue to work with them and continue to grow them, which is ultimately where we were in 2016, 2017, when we worked with real high potential individuals and we saw the fruits of this. Our league is structured to make sure that in the end, you take it away. For us, now is a period where we’ve got to reflect, we got to look at it, we’ve got to make sure that we retain the players that we feel will move us forward. Naturally, when you end the season every year, there is going to be retention, recruitment, all those things they’re natural. That’s going to happen. But as a number, I can’t tell you because we didn’t have that meeting yet.”
Cushing’s term “high potential individuals” stands out because when you look at the roster he is absolutely right. The team is filled with talent at every position and there is no doubt that during the long off season Coaches, fans and players with be wondering how to make those ” high potential individuals” play as a team like they should have this season. Now is the time to grow, learn from the losses and heal some wounds. The offseason started earlier than usual but no doubt NYCFC will have a busy one anyway.
