New York City Football Club suffered a defeat on Saturday against Philadelphia Union.
The hosts secured a 2-1 win thanks to goals from Jose Martínez and Chris Donovan.
Here are Five Points from the game…
Break
NYCFC will now take up a break from MLS play until August 20 when they welcome Minnesota United.
The soccer doesn’t stop, however, with the Leagues Cup now the Club’s focus with their game against Atlas FC next up. A change in competition could be the ideal opportunity to take a breath and refocus ahead of the final stretch of the MLS regular season.
Jasson Strikes
Speaking after the game Andres Jasson described his first goal for the Club as ‘bittersweet’.
While the forward would have preferred it came during an emphatic win for NYCFC, it does not change the level of the achievement.
Jasson was one of five academy players on the gameday roster, with his goal arriving seven days after teammate Justin Haak scored the first goal by a homegrown player in Club history.
A special moment he will remember for the rest of his life, it was rich. Reward for the years of hard work to put himself into this position.
Control
Nick Cushing was keen to acknowledge the whole picture when speaking to the media on Saturday night.
While the Head Coach was disappointed not to win against the Union, he acknowledged the level of control his side enjoyed at Subaru Park.
Not only did NYCFC hold more possession than Philadelphia, but they also produced more than double the number of attempts on goal, with only a minor difference between the sides in expected goals.
NYCFC aspires to exert control on a game through possession as a means to both maximize their own ability and limit the opponent’s ability to impact the game. They achieved that ball dominance Saturday, and while it didn’t give them the result they wanted, they hope it will soon.
Full Team
The return of James Sands from international duty allowed Nick Cushing a full roster to choose from ahead of Saturday.
That quality told in the second half with NYCFC being the better of the two teams. Cushing also spoke of the team’s need to bolster the roster, with Mounsef Bakrar ready to join the group once he receives his visa.
The work will continue during the transfer window, but being able to navigate the difficulty of the league with a fully healthy roster will be a boost moving forward.
Subs
Nick Cushing wanted to change the game, and he did just that with his substitutions.
When NYCFC were able to find a way past Andre Blake in the Union goal it came via a combination between two substitutes. Gabriel Pereira’s audacious turn to get away from Jack Elliot allowed him to cross for Andres Jasson to convert.
The pair were tasked to help change the tide of the game and they did just that by getting NYCFC back into the contest.
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