New York City FC Head Coach Domènec Torrent has brought Ebenezer Ofori, James Sands and Ismael Tajouri-Shradi into the lineup for City's clash with the Chicago Fire.
Following the 1-1 tie in Montreal, Torrent has picked what looks like a 4-3-3 formation, with Maxi Moralez and Tajouri-Shradi on the wings, with Sands, Ofori and Alex Ring anchoring the midfield.
The suspended Alexander Callens drops out and he's replaced by Ben Sweat in the heart of the back four, while Ronald Matarrita drops to the left-back slot.
NYCFC: Johnson, Tinnerholm, Sweat, Chanot, Matarrita, Sands, Ring, Ofori, Tajouri-Shradi, Moralez, Villa (C)
Subs: Stuver, Ibeagha, Amagat, McNamara, Wallace, Berget, Castellanos
KEY STATS
- This will be the ninth-ever meeting between the two clubs. NYCFC has won three of the previous eight games, with two draws and two losses. There has been an average of 3.4 goals per game across these eight matches.
- NYCFC have won just once in their last nine matches (4L-4D) and have been outscored 15-10 along that run.
- Chicago is winless in their last nine road games (6L-3D) and has been outscored 21-11 along the way. It has been 17 road games since the Fire kept a clean sheet (1-0 win over Montreal on September 2 of last year).
- NYCFC have scored 12 goals in the last 15 minutes of first halves this year, the most of any team in the league. Chicago have scored two goals in the last 15 minutes of first halves this year, three fewer than any other team.
- Dax McCarty had two assists in Chicago’s 3-2 victory over NYCFC earlier this year. He has two goals and two assists against NYCFC all-time. His 0.5 goals+assists per 90 average against NYCFC is his third highest against any one opponent since the start of the 2010 season.
- In 282+ minutes with Djordje Mihailovic on the field this year, Chicago averages 1.9 goals scored and 1.0 goals conceded per 90. In 2,520+ minutes without him, those numbers change to 1.3 scored and 1.8 conceded per 90.
- Aleksandar Katai has now scored in consecutive matches after enduring a season-worst seven-match scoreless streak.
- In the 16 games that Ismael Tajouri-Shradi has started for NYCFC this season, they average 2.0 goals and 1.8 points per game. In the 14 matches that he has not started, those fall to 1.4 goals and 1.5 points per game.
- NYCFC’s 35.7% duel success rate against Montreal was the lowest they’ve had in a match all season.
- Ronald Matarrita had three shots on target for NYCFC against Montreal, an MLS single-game high for him in 57 league appearances. He now has three career league games with multiple shots on target, two of which have come this month.
