It was a disappointing afternoon in Toronto but not a terminal one for NYCFC’s hopes of success in 2017.
Managing Editor Mark Booth picks out five things we learned from a bruising afternoon’s play…
A Game of Moments
When Maxi Moralez missed the target with his stoppage-time penalty, it just about summed NYCFC’s day up.
It was a fairly miserable 90’ for the Boys in in Blue but the scoreline was perhaps just a little flattering for the hosts.
This was a game where Greg Vanney’s men really managed to seize upon their opportunities in the game, building up a scoring advantage which wasn’t exactly the fairest reflection of the cadence of this encounter.
There was very little to choose between the teams before Sebastian Giovinco opened the scoring with his first 25 yard golazo on 32’ and NYCFC had just enjoyed their best spell in the game, pressing on for an equalizer which wouldn’t have been unmerited before the little Italian did it again with his unstoppable free-kick on 66’.
A generous Jozy Altidore penalty further embellished the numbers on the scoreboard before Raheem Edwards caught the away team up the field to round up the scoring.
Not that it will have been any consolation to Patrick Vieira after the game but with possession split 50/50 and the shot count only 13 to 12 in the home side’s favor, the 4-0 felt more a case of Toronto making good on the big moments in the game than the outright domination this result hints at.
Missing Friends
Few teams in MLS could really stand to miss three players as important as Maxime Chanot, Yangel Herrera and Rodney Wallace have been to NYCFC so far this season.
All three have been regular starters throughout the campaign and unquestionably would have helped the team in one of their toughest road assignments of the season at BMO Field.
Seven first-team players in total were ineligible for selection in Canada and the team couldn’t hit the same heights they enjoyed against Chicago in that remarkable 2-1 win at Yankee Stadium a week earlier.
How many of those missing will be ready for next weekend’s derby remains to be seen but Herrera is at least one who will definitely be back in contention after serving his one-match suspension.
Philosophical in Defeat
Vieira refused to point to refereeing decisions as a cause of this 4-0 defeat in his post-match press conference.
That was in spite of the penalty call on 75’ when Alexander Callens was adjudged to have dragged down Altidore in the box.
The Peruvian was booked for his protests at what looked like a soft award but Vieira was philosophical in his comments following the game.
Patrick told reporters: “The call today went against us. Last week it was a sending off. This is something that, of course, is frustrating for us, but that's not the reason why we lost the game.
“I think we have to look at ourselves, to see if we perform, and then we can talk about the referee.”
Bridging the Gap
While it felt like a flattering scoreline, as covered above, Patrick also admitted that there was a gap between these sides as he magnanimously admitted that Toronto deserved the win.
Describing the Canadian side as “the team to beat”, Vieira hinted that bridging the gap is a great challenge for his team in the months to come.
Vieira reflected: "Of course there's still a gap, and that is a big challenge for us. We want to challenge and we want to challenge them and we want to work hard because we are quite the ambitious football club, and if we want to challenge them, we need to work harder.
"I would say that this is the team to beat, no doubt about it."
Wars to Come
And so attention inevitably draws towards the latest edition of the Hudson River Derby rivalry which takes place on Sunday evening.
Red Bulls have recovered some form in the time since their 2-0 defeat at the hands of NYCFC in June, winning emphatically against Montreal, Minnesota and San Jose in their last three.
Jesse Marsch’s men will be desperate to avenge their first-ever derby loss at Red Bull Arena in what will be the only Yankee Stadium meeting between the teams in 2017 and for the chance move ahead of their rivals in the standings.
You have a part to play to ensure that doesn’t happen! Make sure you get your tickets for the game below and help roar the boys on to another famous victory.
Come on New York!
