New York City Football Club enjoyed a 1-0 win against Red Bulls on Sunday.
Here are Five Points from a memorable Hudson River Derby.
New York Is Blue
Say it loud, say it proud, New York is Blue on this beautiful Monday morning.
Game Plan
The first 45 minutes of Sunday’s game was a tense tactical battle.
The Red Bulls were keen to fashion chances through pressing, and that sat alongside NYCFC’s desire to play the ball on the deck from back to front.
Despite that, NYCFC didn’t force things in the opening half. Sean Johnson personified the team’s patience in possession as they waited for Red Bulls to break their shape and in turn open the gaps for NYCFC to play through.
That dominance of the ball continued into the second half, and as Red Bulls tired that in turn allowed NYCFC to establish their rhythm and fashion better openings.
The players’ patience and commitment to the plan set out by Nick Cushing and his staff was central to this victory and represented a group working in harmony.
Big Moment, Big Player
The nature of a Derby match means being decisive is vital.
Taty Castellanos had managed to fashion several half-chances through the first 65 minutes of the game. He added to that with an audacious bicycle kick attempt before breaking the deadlock in the 69th minute.
The skill in Castellanos’ goal is watching the delightful pass from Santiago Rodríguez and not snatching at it. Precision over power was the approach required, and showed why you simply can’t let Castellanos have a sniff of goal.
Keep It Clean
After an initially bumpy period, NYCFC have started to settle once again defensively, as evidenced by now back-to-back clean sheets.
Sunday’s task for the defence was slightly different than midweek against FC Dallas. NYCFC used a high line, with fullbacks pushed up. That meant their positioning, their judgement, and their timing had to be on point when defending against a mobile attacking unit.
NYCFC limited their opponents to several half chances, and when Red Bulls did get an effort on goal standing in their way was the imposing and reliable figure of Sean Johnson. While the goal may have given NYCFC the advantage, it was the defensive quality that maintained it.
One For The Family
Whether you were in Red Bull Arena or watching the game on TV this was one for the NYCFC family to enjoy.
Interim Head Coach Nick Cushing said he was keen to deliver a performance in the build-up to Sunday’s game, and he once again praised the traveling support in the wake of the win. This was a big win for the team, and one the fans deserved for their tremendous support.
