New York City Football Club suffered a defeat to Minnesota United on Sunday evening.
The Loons ran out 2-0 winners.
Here are Five Points from the game…
Maxi Returns
It didn’t take long, perhaps several minutes, for the influence of Maxi Moralez to start showing his influence.
The playmaker has the canny knack of knowing where the space is on the field and inhabiting those pockets. It’s from that position he can pull strings and cause problems for teams. He is the perfect foil for a striker like Mounsef Bakrar, who is constantly looking to make runs in behind the defence and down the side of defenders.
In fact, the pair combined inside the opening ten minutes and that allowed Bakrar a shot at goal that was well blocked. That theme continued in the 21st minute when Moralez’s delightful clipped pass put Bakrar in, but the forward was unable to apply the finish.
Moralez showed the kind of performance that won him so many admirers both in New York and further afield. A vintage Moralez display, it bodes well for the rest of the campaign.
Numbers
NYCFC were right to leave the field frustrated on Sunday night.
The Boys in Blue controlled large portions of the game and created more chances than their opponents, enjoying 63% of possession and outshooting Minnesota 19 to 12. The expected goals for the contest had NYCFC at 2.1 compared to Minnesota’s 1.
It wasn’t to be for NYCFC last night, but the hope is this dominance can continue and start to be reflected in the box score.
New Faces
Nick Cushing called upon several new arrivals for Sunday’s game.
Maxi Moralez made his second NYCFC debut, while Birk Risa introduced himself to NYCFC fans. The defender arrived in the Five Boroughs from Molde FK and made a strong impression during his debut. As well as quelling several Minnesota attacks Risa showed some fine moments on the ball, switching the play.
Elsewhere, Julián Fernández was direct and keen to make an impression, while Andrés Perea also debuted to add steel to the midfield. The players all showed glimpses of why they were brought to the Five Boroughs, and they will no doubt be keen to build on that and help the team to collect wins in the coming weeks and months.
Atmosphere
The result may not have been wanted NYCFC wanted, but the vibes from the stands were unmatched.
You brought the noise and made it a memorable occasion for players both old and new and showed why so many players are keen to wear the Club’s shirt and sample a New York soccer experience.
That energy will be vital in the games that remain, and we know you won’t stop bringing the passion.
Back To Work
One thing is certain in the wake of Sunday’s game; the players and staff won’t shy away from hard work this week.
The team will be back on the training pitch and ready to go again next weekend. They have rallied at several points this season and can do it again. The arrival of new faces and a familiar one in Maxi Moralez will provide a boost as they look to build greater understanding among the group.
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