Five things we took from our 3-1 loss in Atlanta…
Jack Harrison represents the future
One of the few players to emerge with any credit from last season’s forgettable defeat to Red Bulls, Jack Harrison again showed the kind of spirit that Patrick Vieira loves.
Again, in adversity, Harrison shone and it was no coincidence that he was the player who gave NYCFC some hope late in the game.
An exciting talent who will get better and better under Vieira’s leadership.
Sometimes long is OK…?
The high press has worked well for NYCFC this season but Atlanta were also quick to close down with their pacey attackers.
Not every side NYCFC face will have speed to burn like Atlanta and the passing ethos Patrick Vieira has instilled is to be applauded – so what is the answer to the kind of threat Atlanta presented?
That’s up to the boss – but he will have been thinking about navigating such a threat from the moment the final whistle went in Georgia – if not sooner.
Four in a row – one too many?
The MLS fixture planners chose to send NYCFC to Dallas, Salt Lake City, Orlando and Atlanta in the space of 13 days – that’s a lot of traveling for any team.
The sweltering heat of Atlanta might have been one game too far for Patrick Vieira’s side who will be glad to get back to home soil on Wednesday.
Expect an energized response in the cooler Bronx air as NYCFC look to get back in the groove against the Revolution.
Pace hurt us
Atlanta United’s forward line will inflict damage to a number of defenses this season, but Vieira will be concerned at how vulnerable his team looked to the Five Stripes’ pace.
True, it was maybe only for a 20-minute period, but that was enough time for Atlanta to score three goals.
Formations and personnel will be on Vieira’s mind the next time NYCFC face such a dangerous, fast forward line.
Pressing matters?
Atlanta may have won 3-1, but there will be a sense of ‘what if…?’ after NYCFC’s loss on Sunday.
The high press gave Atlanta all kinds of problems, but when a goal didn’t come in that first 15 minutes, the host found a way around the press by playing the ball direct and long.
That may have been their plan from the start, but it suggests that if there is no breakthrough for all the early efforts, the press may actually give the smarter opponents a quick route through to attack.
Stick or twist? Over to you Patrick!
