New York City Football Club suffered a narrow 2-1 defeat against Toronto FC on Saturday afternoon.
Here are Five Points from a frustrating time at BMO Field.
Penalty Pain
Although Ronny Deila received confirmation after the game that NYCFC should have been awarded a penalty kick in the first half, it likely did little to alter his mood.
A darting run into the box by Talles Magno was halted by an accidental coming together with a Toronto FC defender. The momentum in the game spun twice in the space of a few minutes. That was followed by a similar check on TFC’s second goal just before half-time, with strong claims for an offside in the build-up to Thiago Martins’ own goal.
While fortune may not have favored NYCFC on Saturday, the hope will be that it corrects itself soon enough.
Hey Gabby Gabby
The arrival of Gabriel Pereira at half-time brought NYCFC fans their first real look at the Club’s newest signing.
Ronny Deila admitted afterward his new signing was thrown into a ‘tough’ situation given the team was in need of a spark, but the winger did well to establish himself in the game. A left-footed winger that plays on the right, his drives inside and cute exchanges with his teammates showed he has already managed to fit into the team well.
Adding depth and variety out wide was an important task for NYCFC this offseason following the departure of Jesús Medina and Ismael Tajouri-Shradi and the early signs are positive in regards to Pereira coming in and adding something a little bit different to the squad.
Never Give Up
It’s in the face of adversity that a person’s true character comes to the fore.
NYCFC’s players could easily have felt sorry for themselves after the first half and simply sought to complete the game and be done with it. Instead, they remained relentless in their attempts to get back into the game and controlled large portions of the second period as a consequence.
In the end, that only delivered one goal for the team and while they will leave BMO Field feeling disappointed it is that mentality that served NYCFC so well last season and will continue to do so in 2022.
Move On
When speaking after the game Keaton Parks pointed to the team’s busy schedule as a plus on days like Saturday.
NYCFC have very little time before their next game – against Seattle Sounders in Champions League – and that will give them ample opportunity to turn things around. While extensive debriefs are often beneficial it would be far better to accept the game as being done and dusted and move onto the next step of the Club's journey in 2022.
Héber Joy
If there was a silver lining to take from Saturday’s game it was the return of Héber to the score sheet.
The Brazilian striker has had a long journey back to the first team. The player has built his fitness in the gym religiously, but the sharpness of on field action can take a little bit more time to acquire.
For a forward, that first goal can be so important in terms of restoring confidence and familiarity. Héber’s header, while only a consolation, meant so much more for the player. Lovely to see you back and scoring H9.
