New York City Football Club played out a tense 2-2 tie with Atlanta United on Sunday afternoon.
Here are Five Points from Yankee Stadium.
Fine Margins
Soccer can be a game of inches and even millimeters, and that certainly felt true on Sunday.
NYCFC had two chances cleared off the line, while Alex Callens, who had enjoyed a fantastic game, was unfortunate to slip in the buildup to Atlanta United’s equalizer. Those fine margins are what can make the difference between a win and a draw.
It wasn’t to be on Sunday, but when a few degrees shift, it will be.
Taty Cincuenta
Taty Castellanos is the kind of player that will always put the team above himself.
His selfless running and hard work in the final third is a big reason behind the team’s success in the final third and on Sunday that saw him rewarded with his 49th and 50th goal in MLS.
In both instances, Taty found the net thanks to his intelligence. The first was about a smart run on the defender’s blindside that put him in behind. The second was spotting where the space in the penalty area was and converting the opportunity. The player is continuing to grow while wearing Bronx Blue, and it's clear he still has room to get even better.
Congratulations to Taty, here’s to at least 50 more.
Get Better
Every day is a fresh chance to get better.
NYCFC have shown some admirable qualities this past week as they showed character and courage to take two points from games against FC Cincinnati and Atlanta. While the players and staff will know where they can improve, they now have a week to prepare.
This team has come on a tremendous journey so far and there is still so much more to come. Tomorrow is a chance to move a step closer toward that destination.
Regroup
It’s been a curious and busy few weeks for NYCFC.
There have been some notable changes, a lot of soccer to play, and all in all a testing period. This week represents the first real chance to exhale and take stock of everything. Sometimes taking a small step back can allow for a big step forward and that’s what the group will be aiming to do now.
"I wouldn’t say we need to ring any alarm bells," said goalkeeper and captain Sean Johnson. "It is part of the season, the ebbs and flows. Everyone expects us to fly the rest of the season without losing a game, which is fair. We set that expectation playing the way we do. [It's] understanding that we are still in a really good place and if we get the things right now, we will be okay pushing on the rest of the year."
Attack, Attack, Attack
NYCFC scored for the eight consecutive MLS game, underpinning the team’s commitment to attacking.
On Sunday the team produced some beautiful moments in the final third just several days after a similar showing. The team will never divert from that principle and it means they will often be involved in entertaining matches. When you choose to be proactive in soccer it brings the opportunity to write your own destiny, and that's what this team is doing.
