In our weekly roundup of NYCFC media headlines, we begin with a look at how our U16s are progressing in Texas.
Matt Pilkington’s side are the youngest team at the Generation adidas Cup finals but their soccer is earning widespread praise.
Following a penalty shootout victory over Seattle in their opening game, NYCFC produced an excellent performance to defeat Costa Rican side Deportivo Saprissa 2-0 on Sunday.
Two beautiful goals were singled out by writer Will Parchman on TopDrawerSoccer.com and shared on social media by MLS.
“The latter game was a masterclass in finishing, and No. 10 Giovanni Reyna led the hit parade,” Parchman scribed.
“Reyna is, of course, the son of Claudio, and he pulls the strings for this NYCFC side as the No. 10. He enjoyed a rampant performance in the 2-0 win over Saprissa, including this ridiculous free kick to give NYCFC the only goal it’d need.”
He continued: “The second goal in that clip belonged to Velkjo Petkovic, a Serbian national with a U.S. green card and a mountain of talent. That chip was carved out of a hunk of pure sparkling marble.
“In any case, if the Champions Division is getting you down, just rewind those two plonkers. “There are worse things to do with your day.”
They rounded off group play with a hard-earned ten-man win over Pumas and are through in first place to Thursday's semifinals.
Elsewhere, there are a couple of great longer reads from Dylan Butler on the official MLS website to tell you about.
His first, an interview with Maxi Moralez, paints the picture of the Argentine midfielder as a man who likes a quiet, family-focused life away from the soccer field.
Revealing his affection for his two Golden Retrievers Zeus and Leon and his friendship with Montreal Impact playmaker Ignacio Piatti.
Moralez told Butler: “It’s very nice because there’s always something to do in the city, which is great but for me, I chose to live outside of New York City because I wanted a house, to have space, to be with my dogs.”
The other article from Butler is a look at Ethan White’s photography with some of his best photos showcased in the piece.
Again, very much worth seeking out here!
Finally for today, we learned that Taylor Twellman will join ESPN hosts Michael Smith and Jemele Hill for a special SportsCenter at the Hudson River Derby on 8/25.
Taking the broadcast from the studio to the Red Bull Arena, it’s a significant move for the league and shows that interest in that first derby of 2017 could be even more pronounced than in previous years.
