Tommy McNamara has been a regular in New York City FC’s starting lineup in the first two years of the club’s existence, but the cult hero has had a different role in the first month of this season.
The midfielder, who played a limited role off the bench in the first three games of the season, saw extended minutes Saturday afternoon and made the most of the chance by scoring what proved to be the winning goal in a 2-1 win over the San Jose Earthquakes.
Patrick said…
Vieira said the buildup that led to the goal “really reflects the way we want to play the game.” He also praised McNamara’s mentality and maturity on the training ground.
“I always love Tommy, not just the player, but the person,” Vieira said. “He’s been a professional and his work ethic in training didn’t change at all. Even more, he wants to show me he deserves to be on the field. That’s what I like, what I appreciate about him.”
Tommy said…
“Whenever you’re on the field, it’s an opportunity. Whether you’re starting or have been starting for 10 weeks in a row or you’re just coming off the bench and you haven’t played at all in the season. It’s always an opportunity, a chance to make an impression within the coaching staff and club. The most important thing is to do whatever the team needs at the moment.”
The Fans said…
Key Moment…
Just four minutes after replacing Andrea Pirlo, McNamara got on the end of a sublime ball cut back by Ronald Matarrita and tapped in his first goal of the season. The scoring sequence started with a takeaway by Matarrita, who fed Rodney Wallace. A brilliant touch by David Villa set up Matarrita, who cut back with one touch and McNamara finished accordingly.
Stats…
