New York City Football Club hosts Toronto FC on Saturday evening.
The Boys in Blue return to action in a 7:30pm ET kick-off.
Here are the Keys to the Match, presented by Ford…
Go Again
“It means nothing if we don’t get three points against Toronto,” Nick Cushing said after the win against Orlando City.
Although the NYCFC Head Coach knows exactly how important the victory on Wednesday was, he is also vitally aware of how important is that the team string results together in their pursuit of a playoff spot.
Toronto were in action midweek against Inter Miami CF. The Reds were beaten 4-0 by Miami, and although they are on the cusp of being mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, they will still be entering the contest playing for pride.
While that makes them a potentially tricky opponent, NYCFC will prefer to focus on their own performance. Having already beaten TFC this season in Leagues Cup, they know the blueprint for success, and the key now is to produce it.
Big Noise
One of the central themes of NYCFC’s last four home games has been the atmosphere.
The fans have brought the noise on every occasion and that has made the Boys in Blue a difficult team to beat. That has helped contribute to a four-game unbeaten streak, that was added to with Wednesday’s 2-0 win against Orlando City, thanks to goals from Mounsef Bakrar and Talles Magno.
The Boys in Blue will hope to build on that moment once again on Saturday to ensure it proves to be a major turning point in the season, and if they can be blessed with that same raucous backing it could help push them over the line and finish this five-game home stretch in style.
Power Through
It has undeniably been a busy seven days for NYCFC with three games taking place in that time.
They have done incredibly well to collect four points from their first two games, with the chance to add another three points to the tally on Saturday. Results elsewhere have made those points even more valuable and shortened the gap between NYCFC and D.C. United in the last playoff spot.
The two sides both kickoff at 7:30 pm on Saturday, and if results go the right way, it is possible for the Boys in Blue to end Saturday night above the line. That could be a huge momentum booster for Cushing and his players, particularly when you consider they play United and Chicago Fire – the team below them in the table – in their final three games of the Regular Season.
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