NYCFC slipped to a 2-1 defeat in Washington on Saturday afternoon but what did we learn?
Managing Editor Mark Booth picks out Five Things…
Timing is Everything
Although NYCFC were 2-0 down going into the last ten minutes at RFK Stadium, they were far from outplayed at any stage in this game.
As has been the case all season so far, NYCFC had more possession and took more shots than their opponents but this time we just couldn’t make it count on the scoreboard.
Sometimes soccer is all about timing, especially when the match is tight and chances are few and far between.
DC’s opening goal came from Lloyd Sam came at a time when Patrick Vieira’s men were exerting real pressure on the home side following a strong end to the first half.
It was a similar case for the second strike from Luciano Acosta which arrived after the introduction of Tommy McNamara which had seemed to breathe new life into the boys in blue.
T-Mac Shines Again
It wasn’t all bad news for NYCFC though – there were a few noteworthy performances to help ease the pain.
For the second week in a row, Tommy McNamara made his presence felt in a lively cameo off the bench, putting himself at the heart of some of his team’s best moves.
If there was going to be an equalizing goal, you can bet he would have been at the heart of it, such was his effect on proceedings.
West Nyack’s finest almost halved the deficit himself with a powerful strike from range just seconds after his introduction and he did create the goal for David Villa with his clever cut-back from the byline.
Gameplans
DC’s gameplan was pretty self-evident from early on in the encounter: defend deep and break quickly when NYCFC had men caught up the field.
At times it appeared as though the home side had six at the back as they blocked off all the passing lanes with stubborn lines of resistance.
For NYCFC, it was vital to get the first goal in the game to force Ben Olsen’s men out of their shells but instead we found ourselves behind seven minutes into the second half.
It was a real blow as it allowed the home side to continue defending with numbers and choosing their moments to attack, which they did to devastating effect on 72’ when Acosta tapped in.
Still, it’s early on in the season and NYCFC are still just three points from the summit of the Eastern Conference.
The Goal
It won’t serve as much as a consolation for a winner like David Villa but the goal NYCFC scored was one of the highest quality.
An AT&T Goal of the Week nominee, El Guaje’s brilliant finish from McNamara’s cross was his third goal of the season and yet another example of what a clinical marksmen our captain is.
He told NYCFC.com: ““It’s important to score goals. The last 30 minutes, not only for the goal, before the goal we have another chance, Jack had a chance, Miguel, Tommy I think. Of course with the goal we are closer to 2-2, but we started playing better before the goal.”
On the Road Again
NYCFC are still in search of a first point on the road following this defeat but they will have an opportunity to put things right on Friday night.
The short trip to Philadelphia beckons for Vieira’s side as they look to flip the script after our 2-0 defeat there last season.
Philly are without a win in 2017 so far, going down to a 3-1 defeat to Portland Timbers on Saturday.
