New York City Football Club welcome CF Montréal for their 2022 MLS Home Opener.
Here are the Keys to the Match presented by Tri-State Ford…
Attack, Attack, Attack
NYCFC faced a testing Concacaf Champions League first leg midweek against Comunicaciones.
The physical encounter saw Ronny Deila’s side tested and they emerged 3-1 victors thanks to some wonderful attacking play in the second period. The team are still awaiting their first goal in MLS this season, but the home opener would be the perfect time to break the seal.
As NYCFC showed in midweek, when the team click in the final third they can be almost impossible to stop. The previous two games in MLS this season have shown glimpses of that quality with only a final touch missing. If they can start the game with a pace and intensity that have defined their games this season, then we may see an early goal for the home team.
Start As You Mean to Go On
One of the themes of last season for NYCFC was strong home form. When the team was at Yankee Stadium they produced high quality performances on a consistent basis.
The players and staff have spoken glowingly about the atmosphere in the Bronx, and it made for some special moments last season, including the playoff win against Atlanta United that set the team on course for MLS Cup.
The team went a long way to securing that home playoff game with their performances at Yankee Stadium toward the end of the season, and with that in mind it would be wise for the team to set an early marker on Saturday.
Strong home form can be the foundation to greater success.
Maxi vs Mihailovic
As we saw on Tuesday night Maxi Moralez is showing no signs of slowing down. The veteran playmaker is a major force for NYCFC in the final third, serving as both a creator and scorer of goals.
For CF Montréal it is Djorde Mihailovic that seeks to be a midfield threat in the final third. Last season the 23-year-old recorded four goals and 16 assists during the regular season. His ability to inhabit dangerous pockets of space in front of the defence makes him a consistent threat for Montréal as does his delivery from set pieces.
The same could also be said of Moralez. The 35-year-old uses all of his experience to drift around the pitch, while also being able to pick out the likes of Taty Castellanos with regularity. With two players of this ilk battling it out for supremacy, the game may be defined by which of the two can find the ball regularly in the final third with time and space.
