New York City Football Club played out a goalless draw with Sporting Kansas City on Saturday.
Here are Five Points from a tough night.
Welcome Back Maxime
The second half saw several substitutions from Ronny Deila, but few were as welcome as Maxime Chanot’s return.
The defender has been wrestling with a difficult facial injury picked up on international duty, as evidenced by the mask he wore on Saturday night. NYCFC are blessed with impressive depth at center-back, and as games come thick and fast it will be important that the team is rotated to manage load and minutes.
Chanot also had an instant impact with a header from a corner. His magic moment wasn’t to be, but that didn’t diminish how nice it was to see him back in Bronx Blue.
Captain Fantastic
The life of a goalkeeper can vary.
For some, shots on goal are plentiful and that can help you establish a rhythm and momentum that makes things a shade easier. For others, you may only be required to act once or twice in a game and that can put significantly more pressure on you to perform. Sean Johnson sat firmly in the latter camp on Saturday. Sporting KC were keen to engineer fast break opportunities and play into the space behind NYCFC’s defensive line, and that was shown early on with Dániel Sallói’s chance that Johnson repelled.
Toward the end of the half a second impressive save saw him tip the ball onto the post. By the end of the second period, he had not been significantly tested again, but in those two moments he stood tall for his team. Leading by example, it’s those fine margins that form a distinction between a solid point and a disappointing loss.
The U.S. international has been a consistent performer for NYCFC for some time now, and the confidence that breeds is central to the team’s defensive strength.
Clean Sheet Success
Although Saturday represented the first time NYCFC had failed to find the net in six games (and only the second time at home this season), there was more evidence of the team’s solid defensive output.
A third clean sheet in four games will always please a head coach and digging under the surface there are more grounds for enjoyment. NYCFC limited Sporting to an xG of 0.3 on the night, with only two efforts occurring inside the penalty area. Sean Johnson was tested, most notably toward the end of the first half, but the emerging partnership between Thiago Martins and Alex Callens appears to be gaining strength with each passing week.
It sounds obvious, but clean sheets mean points. While Saturday didn’t produce the three the team had become accustomed to of late, a return of 10 points from four games is not to be sniffed at. The key now is to maintain that momentum and quality at the back and use it as the foundation for a successful season.
Move On
There was an undertone of disappointment emanating from Ronny Deila after Saturday’s game and that is a subtle nod to the team’s bold ambitions.
NYCFC aspire to be the best in MLS, and that means a draw at home is considered a frustration. Thankfully, the U.S. Open Cup is around the corner, and the arrival of Rochester New York FC will give the team sharp opportunity to move on and push for another victory. Deila hinted at the possibility of rotation for Wednesday’s game. Thanks to his approach with training and team building the intensity will not drop as those coming in seek to stake a claim for a starting place.
Either way, the time for ruminating on Sporting KC is over. Shift focus and seek victory, that is the best path forward.
Pass the test
The scoreboard on Saturday displayed parity and deadlock, but the further stats showed the level of control NYCFC exerted over proceedings.
Of the many stats the most telling was possession. 73.9% possession, 726 passes, personified not only the ebb and flow of the game but also the embodiment of this team and their persistent striving towards control. Ronny Deila stressed afterward he wished his team had at times been more direct on the ball, but regardless of that, this commitment to owning the ball is often why the team produce such aesthetically pleasing soccer.
One of the oldest adages in soccer is that the opposition cannot hurt you if they do not have the ball, and one of the many reasons Sporting KC were unable to notch a goal was because NYCFC held the ball for such long periods.
