New York City Football Club played out an entertaining 1-1 draw with FC Cincinnati on Wednesday night.
Here are Five Points from a dramatic encounter at Citi Field…
A Positive Result
While the team were naturally disappointed not to have come away with all three points on a night in which they dominated possession (65.3%) and outshot their opponents 22-4 (8-1 on target), it was crucial that City stopped the rot of successive defeats.
Earning a positive result, especially from behind and with ten men, can spark a mentality shift and boost confidence both individually and as a collective: ending the streak can mark a fresh start and more optimistic outlook.
The performance itself was much-improved and even when the odds seemed stacked against the home side with Thiago Martins’ unfortunate own-goal and then sending off, the Boys in Blue battled on to preserve a precious point.
Never Give Up
Throughout the squad’s challenging run of form, Interim Head Coach Nick Cushing had spoken of the players’ burning desire to set things right, and that hunger was clear for all to see in Queens.
The team started brightly and then responded well to falling behind, clawing back a leveler before the break – the emotion evident in Gabriel Pereira’s jubilant celebration: sheer elation and relief, as he tore off his shirt.
The passion radiated from the field: there was fight and determination in tracking back, while those who were introduced from the bench were keen to influence the game – Héber inches away from an immediate impact, striking the crossbar with an excellent turn-and-shot.
This team are not giving up.
Team Spirit
Togetherness also shone through in the face of adversity.
When Martins’ backpass rolled agonizingly over the line to open the scoring for the visitors against the run of play, the squad could be forgiven for dropping their heads and resigning themselves to another bad day at the office, placing the blame on their teammate and screaming their frustration.
However, in the immediate aftermath, the players rallied around Martins to provide words of encouragement, including goalkeeper and captain Sean Johnson, who put his arm around the Defender and rallied the troops.
Mistakes happen and the stirring reaction to that moment was a fine example of the team spirit within the group.
Three In, Three Out
News of the returning trio of Martins, Alex Callens and Keaton Parks to the matchday squad from injury provided a welcome and timely boost.
However, City will now be without Martins, Maxime Chanot, and Nico Acevedo for Saturday’s trip to Charlotte with all three serving suspensions – Martins for his red card and the latter two for yellow card accumulation.
Chanot and Acevedo both picked up bookings late on against Cincinnati, meaning Cushing will have another selection headache to contend with for the clash in North Carolina.
One City
In the build-up to Wednesday's match-up, Cushing and co. had called upon the NYCFC faithful to help spur the side onto a positive result on home soil, and the fans did not disappoint.
Despite a miserable few days on the weather front in New York, the City supporters turned out to cheer the team on and inspire the Boys in Blue, creating a rousing atmosphere and real show of unity.
As the regular season reaches its crunch period, everyone connected with the Club can play their part in the team’s playoff push – the players, the staff, and the fans.
Win, lose or draw… Together.
