It was a match to remember for a lifetime for NYCFC in Guayaquil.
Managing Editor Mark Booth picks out five things we learned from the 2-2 draw against C.S Emelec…
Cauldron of Noise
The bleachers were almost full with four hours to go until kick-off and the singing continued until long after the final whistle sounded…
Make no mistake, C.S Emelec’s supporters were in party mode all day and evening long as they celebrated the re-opening of their beloved Estadio George Capwell on Wednesday night.
Even John Stertzer’s last minute equalizer assisted by RJ Allen's excellent pass did nothing to take down the decibel level inside the arena on a special occasion.
In our short history we’ve been blessed to have been part of some truly epic encounters and the atmopshere at this one certainly ranks right up there with the best.
Patrick Vieira is someone who has done everything and been everywhere in the beautiful game but his face as he stepped off the coach, eyes wide, puffing out cheeks, showed even he was blown away with this incredible occasion.
Heart and Soul
Only a fool makes sweeping statements based on the evidence of preseason friendlies but we can say that there is some great spirit in this group of players.
When Ayrton Preciado netted his second goal to make it 2-0, many would have expected that to draw the conclusion that it was game over but Vieira’s men never let their heads drop and rallied to recover the two-goal deficit.
To do so in normal circumstances would have been impressive in its own right, but against the deafening support of the home fans, it was all the more telling and gives us a reason to feel optimistic for the challenges ahead this year.
Ask About Ugo
Our new striker from FC Cincinnati gave us a tantalizing glimpse of what he might be bringing to the fold in 2017 with the best goal of the game.
Shortly after coming onto the field, Ugo halved the deficit with a brilliant turn and snapshot from way out, laying the seeds for a dramatic last second comeback.
Okoli looks to be a born finisher from what we saw in training in Florida and we’ll look forward to seeing more of him in a live match scenario when we arrive in Tucson.
Take a Bow
At 16 years of age, James Sands showed that he may well be suited to this kind of arena in a truly classy, composed first half performance in Ecuador.
It looked very much like a case of The Master and The Apprentice in the NYCFC midfield as US Youth international played alongside Andrea Pirlo and displayed his own breadth of passing range and also intercepted a number of promising-looking Emelec breaks.
Sands put himself in where it hurts too, proving he’s not shy of mixing it with seasoned professionals – in fact, he was off the field receiving treatment for doing just that when the hosts opened the scoring.
That may not have been a coincidence…
Onwards…
At the halfway stage in preseason, NYCFC look to be in good shape but we’ll definitely know more after the next leg.
Vieira takes his team to Tucson on Sunday to begin preparations for the Diamond Desert Cup where we’ll face off against Red Bulls, Houston Dynamo and Colorado Rapids.
Will the Frenchman make any additions or cuts to the 25-man roster out in Ecuador? We’ll let you know here on NYCFC.com as soon as the traveling list is released.
