New York City Football Club suffered a disappointing 2-0 defeat against Philadelphia Union on Saturday.
Here are Five Points from a tough afternoon against Philly.
Set Piece Pain
NYCFC have consistently found attacking success through set pieces this season, but on Saturday it was a dead ball that undid NYCFC after 12 minutes.
While the team’s decision to utilize a high defensive line was well thought out, a stroke of misfortune for NYCFC saw Julian Carranza’s touch force the ball directly into the path of Alejandro Bedoya to convert.
Saturday’s game always promised to be a difficult test, but the players will be disappointed to have given up such a preventable goal early on as it only made their task harder.
Small Margins
In the 30th minute it appeared that the game had been flipped firmly on its head.
A long ball from Sean Johnson was brought down by Santiago Rodríguez and he skipped past Andre Blake before being felled by Jack Elliott. Penalty to NYCFC and red card to Elliott. A subsequent review by VAR determined that Rodríguez had handled the ball in the build up to the goal and so both the penalty and red card were overturned.
Minutes later Philadelphia go down the other end and convert their second of the day through Daniel Gazdag. A frustrating series of events, it serves to perfectly highlight how fine the margins can be in soccer.
Take Control
While the first half of Saturday’s game did not got how NYCFC intended, the response to a setback is vitally important.
The Boys in Blue came out of the locker room at half time determined to produce something in the second half and they did. Ronny Deila has consistently preached the need to focus on performances over results and he saw his team take the game to Philadelphia in the second half. NYCFC dominated both possession and chances, but they were unable to crack a stern Union backline that bunkered in well to protect their advantage.
Setbacks like Saturday are often a test of character, and in that sense, the Boys in Blue can’t be questioned.
Adjusting To The Task
The second half of Saturday’s game brought with it some changes for NYCFC – one of which saw Nicolás Acevedo come into the game.
The Uruguayan typically plays as a midfielder for Ronny Deila, but he was asked to fill in a right-back on Saturday after preparing for the role in training this week. Acevedo performed admirably and offered a consistent passing option down the right flank, which in turn helped NYCFC stretch what was a compact Philadelphia back line.
The team are currently navigating the difficulty of injuries to Anton Tinnerholm and Tayvon Gray, and in that absence players have stepped up. Acevedo was the latest example of that and it speaks to a group determined to pitch in wherever needed for the betterment of the group.
Break Time
While Saturday was a disappointing result for NYCFC it represents one step on a much longer journey.
The team have clocked up some serious air miles during the opening stretch of the season and while their commitment can’t be questioned, you would forgive them for feeling a touch exhausted after their exploits.
The international break of two weeks is arriving at the perfect time for everyone and will afford the majority of the squad a much needed break to rest and recharge. That will be imperative as we head into the next phase of the campaign and the thought of an NYCFC team with its batteries fully charged is enough to stoke excitement.
