That was brutal. Two goals against in the first five minutes and a post-match Patrick Vieira confirmation that he would have changed all ten players at halftime if he had the opportunity.
Not Good Enough
Plain and simple.
After the match, Head Coach Vieira said, “This is the reason why I’m really quite frustrated. I’m really frustrated about the competitiveness, about the desire we had on the field. You know, I’m prepared to accept that we can lose games, but the way we lost today, with the lack of conviction, the lack of competitiveness is something I can’t accept.”
Sentiments echoed throughout the NYCFC universe…
Two More
On the bright side, despite the first derby loss NYCFC still has the chance to make it two series wins in a row after last season’s triumphs.
New York gets another two cracks at Red Bulls, at home in the Bronx on July 8 and August 22.
Two chances to make it right in front of the home fans and improve standing in the Eastern Conference playoffs race.
Off Day
A bad day at the office it was, but certainly not the norm from the Boys in Blue.
The loss leaves City with a 6-2-2 record and 20 points, still good enough for second place in the early Supporters Shield and Eastern Conference standings – just 2 points behind Atlanta United FC.
Bounce Back Blowout
NYCFC are bounce-back masters under Patrick Vieira – something that should give the team confidence as they work through another week of training in anticipation of visiting the West Coast this weekend.
It’s been over two years since the Boys in Blue dropped consecutive league results after conceding three or more goals in the weekend before, and more recently we’ve bounced back in a big way to the tune, scoring 3 or more goals in 3 of those games on the way to 3 more points in the win column.
Look for goals on Sunday.
The Heart of Los Angeles
Or so they say…
It will be our first meeting vs. LAFC in the league, but Patrick Vieira will have learned some early lessons from the preseason scrimmage vs. Bob Bradley and the Black & Gold at UCLA that finished 1-1.
Two of the top six offenses so far in 2018, with 19 and 18 goals scored respectively, square off in the sunshine at the brand new Banc of California Stadium.
Expect fireworks and call your mom.
