NYCFC made it four on the bounce on Thursday night with yet another comeback win.
This time the boys in blue saw off Minnesota in the first-ever meeting between the teams.
Managing Editor Mark Booth picks out five things we learned in our 10th win of the season…
On A Roll
Make that four wins in a row…
NYCFC tied their club record for consecutive MLS victories on Thursday night, recovering a goal deficit to see off Adrian Heath’s Minnesota.
For the third game in a row, Patrick Vieira’s men showed their character and resilience to not let heads drop when going behind, roaring back with three unanswered goals in front of 21,000 in the Bronx.
David Villa said after the game that he doesn’t want NYCFC to gain a reputation as comeback kings as he would always prefer to take the lead in games but it’s certainly been a thrilling rollercoaster ride for home fans through wins over Philadelphia, Seattle and Minnesota.
Will NYCFC make it five in a row and break the club record? We’ll have to wait until next Wednesday night in Vancouver to find out.
Harrison for England?
It’s getting silly now…
Man of the Match Jack Harrison doubled his 2016 goals tally against Minnesota with his eighth strike of the season, putting his team in the lead for the first time on the night.
Ghosting in at the back post to meet Rodney Wallace’s precise cross, Jack guided his header past Bobby Shuttleworth with the ruthlessness of an old fashioned no.9, demonstrating the steely eyed confidence he’s shown in front of goal all season long.
How long before he gets a look for England? His NYCFC Coach believes a call-up to the U21s is overdue.
When asked, Vieira told reporters: “I’m quite surprised he didn’t receive any calls for (England) U21s – he deserves at least to be looked at.”
Ring On Song
It’s starting to feel like we’re pointing out Alex Ring’s brilliance in every single post-game wrap, but he’s not leaving us any option with performances like these.
Numbers don’t always tell the whole story but, in this case, they certainly help to paint the picture of a singularly dominant midfield masterclass from the Finland international.
114 Touches. 88/96 (91.7% passing). 7/9 Tackles. 15/20 Duels Won. 13 Recoveries.
He was everywhere.
Villa Masterpiece
Looks like we might have a new entry for David Villa’s top ten goals for NYCFC…
Goal no.52 for the boys in blue was a very special one indeed, as El Guaje danced his way through the Loons defense, popping a megs in there for good measure, before emphatically slamming the ball past Shuttleworth like it was no thing.
At this stage, what can you even say about the man? Even our Social Media Manager ran out of superlatives after this one…
Keeping Focus
This was a win which put NYCFC right in the mix at the top of the Eastern Conference, just a point behind Chicago in second and two behind Toronto at the top.
However, Vieira knows it counts for nothing at this stage of the season and preferred to focus on performances rather than standings – a sensible approach with so much of the campaign remaining.
Patrick said: ““It was a big win for us tonight. We have a day off tomorrow, and then we start thinking about Vancouver on Saturday.
“My job is to find the right words to challenge the players. There are three points on the table and we want to take them.”
Wednesday can't come soon enough.
