New York City Football Club are in Texas to face FC Dallas on Wednesday night.
For this edition of 'The Away End' presented by Berkeley College & Rennert International, we spoke to Drew Epperley, writer for Big D Soccer, an FC Dallas fan blog.
Hi Drew, thanks for speaking with us. How has 2022 been for FC Dallas?
It has been a bit of a mixed bag for new manager Nico Estevez this season. Things got started off very well with the club picking up wins and draws on the road. The FCD defense was one of the toughest to breakdown in the first 10 games of the season and the attack was finding their way with the rise of Jesus Ferreira and Paul Arriola.
But the last couple of months have seen a steep decline in how the defense has been due to injuries, suspensions, and just teams figuring out ways to beat them on set pieces.
What have been the high points of the season so far?
Several! Estevez’s debut as manager has brought a lot of new energy on and off the field to the club. Ferreira’s rise to the top of the Golden Boot standings. Arriola’s month of May in which he scored in five straight games. The debut of Alan Velasco against Nashville in which he scored his first goal.
Who would you consider the team’s danger man?
While it is easy to point out Arriola, Ferreira or Velasco as the danger man but I love pointing out Homegrown midfielder Paxton Pomykal. On one end, he is the team’s top passer and link in the midfield for the attack. He picks up more fouls than anyone on this team as a result. On the defensive side of things, he’s found a more aggressive approach to his game that wasn’t there in recent years.
Are there any weaknesses you think NYCFC could target?
Right now, the defensive wings are both vulnerable. Marco Farfan will be out of this game due to a yellow card accumulation suspension. Even if that wasn’t the case, he also picked up a head injury in the draw with Houston over the weekend. On the other end, Estevez has struggled to figure out which starter at right back to go with as Nanu and Ema Twumasi continue to battle for that starting spot as neither have really looked better than one another.
What do you think will be the decisive factor in tonight’s game?
In this heat (game-time temperature is going to be 95 degrees, with a heat index likely over 100 degrees), it is going to come down to who has the fresher legs late in the game.
And finally, for any NYCFC fans that might be in Dallas in the near future, are there any attractions you would suggest they check out?
You can never go wrong with visiting the 6th Floor Museum at Dealy Plaza in downtown Dallas. There is so much history in that area due to it being where President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. Near that area are some great breweries like Pegasus City Brewery, Peticolas Brewing and Manhattan Ale Project. Also in downtown is Reunion Tower (the giant ball for those looking at the skyline), in the observation deck is a great view of downtown and a nice restaurant. Lastly, is Klyde Warren Park is a great park that is in the middle of the city. It is built on top of a highway that is between the downtown and uptown districts. During major soccer tournaments, it is a great place to watch games!
