New York City FC are back in action on Wednesday night against CF Montréal.
Here are the Keys to the Match, presented by Tri-State Ford…
Attack, Attack, Attack,
The stat sheet from Saturday’s game against Columbus Crew made for interesting reading. New York City FC may not have won the game, but they dominated the ball while also out-shooting their opponents 21-6.
That saw an expected goals of 2-1 in favor of NYCFC, and that should be seen as a positive. Ronny Deila has talked up the quality and intensity of training, and we’re seeing that played out in the team’s chance creation ability.
The increased emergence of new faces like Thiago Andrade and Santiago Rodriguez also offers Deila different options from the bench and will add a different dimension in the final third. The Boys in Blue are being proactive on the ball, and that will pay off soon enough.
The Turnover
One theme of the weekend for both NYCFC and their opponents CF Montréal was managing turnovers.
For the Boys in Blue, it was quick-thinking by Nicolás Acevedo that got them back into the game. His decision to press Lucas Zelarayán allowed NYCFC to engineer a great chance for Jesús Medina to score.
In Montréal, Wilfried Nancy’s side enjoyed an exhilarating 5-4 win that was not without struggle. FC Cincinnati went into the break 3-2 up, and their first two goals came as a direct consequence of pressing CF Montréal in their own defensive third. Jaap Stam’s side should arguably have had another goal via that route in the 25th minute, but for a good interception by James Pantemis.
NYCFC aren’t struggling to create chances, and pressing Montréal could be another great avenue to boost that.
Let The Games Begin
Between now and September, NYCFC have 10 games to play across MLS and Leagues Cup.
This will be a great opportunity for Ronny Deila and his players to build momentum as we move into the second phase of the campaign. The quick turnaround between games will be both a physical and mental test for the group, but within that challenge will be an opportunity to emerge better and stronger for it.
