New York City Football Club suffered a defeat to Inter Miami CF on Saturday night.
Here’s Five Points from a tough night in Florida.
Goals Galore
Talles Magno’s first half goal continued an impressive run of goal scoring for NYCFC.
The Boys in Blue have failed to score just once in their last 15 games in MLS dating back to early May. That fact reinforces how consistent and effective this team is in the final third, choosing to commit themselves to an attacking brand of soccer.
That makes them an entertaining team to watch and you can bet they’ll be approaching their remaining games with the same desire to attack and entertain in equal measure.
Talles Starts
NYCFC almost had the lead inside five minutes on Saturday night.
Talles Magno’s versatility is a major asset and slotting in up top gave NYCFC a physical presence with tremendous dribbling ability. When the goal did come it highlighted his positional sense and composure under pressure.
Throughout the evening Talles was a danger on the ball as he glided past opponents and opened up spaces with his quick feet. The result may not have been what the team wanted, but the youngster’s performance was another reminder of the talent and potential he and NYCFC possess.
Data Driven
Nick Cushing refused to be too downhearted after the game last night, and it’s easy to see why.
Not only did NYCFC control possession and out-shoot their opposition on Saturday, but they also recorded a higher expected goals than Miami. In simple terms, Cushing was right when he said he felt his team created the better chances on the night and could have won the game.
Soccer is often a game of fine margins and while it didn’t land in NYCFC’s favor on Saturday, if they keep up this level of performance it will do soon.
Big Save
In the same week Sean Johnson made his first appearance as an MLS All Star he showed the kind of quality that earned him that selection.
The shot-stopper produced several big saves on Saturday, but the pick of the bunch came in the 69th minute when he stopped Gonzalo Higuain from point blank range.
Knowing that reliability is anchoring the defence is vital, and shows Johnson is ready to help this team get back to winning ways.
Squad Depth
MLS can be a physically demanding competition with teams pushed to their limits.
As Nick Cushing touched on after the game, his side were missing several players including Alex Callens, Keaton Parks, and Tayvon Gray. The fact the team was still able to produce a high-quality performance and only narrowly fall to defeat speaks to the roster’s quality and depth.
In time those players will hopefully return, but it bodes well for the Club’s future that they have such strength and depth throughout the full roster.
