Credit NYC Nation
By Juan Carlos Maygua
NYCFC returned to action for the regular season against Inter Miami. The visitors are not having the best season, but their talents make them unpredictable. NYCFC was looking for a way to turn the page from their defeat in the Leagues Cup. A victory would reassure fans that the defeat didn’t define the team’s season. It was a league game that not only had three points in play, but it also tested NYCFC’s character as a team.
45 minutes were enough
The team started the game with precaution. A few touches in midfield to start assessing the game plan against Miami. The visitors, however, had different plans and turned the game physical right away. Castellanos was the first target for Miami, hard fouls would be constant from that point on. Inter Miami took advantage of their ball possession to create goal opportunities against the boys in blue. While their opportunities didn’t see fruition, they had more than one fan looking worried. One of the plays came close to being an own goal after a cross found a deflection in an NYCFC player. Many still had sensations from the previous game so tension was building with every passing minute. Thankfully a few combinations of plays involving Thiago Andrade changed the atmosphere quickly. His movement with the ball saw him break away from 3 opposition players marking him. He would then follow with impressive runs down the wing, an impressive display from the Brazilian.
Valentin Castellanos came into action in the 21st minute repeating his header abilities after a clean cross from Maxi Moralez. The chemistry and vision to find Castellanos completely unmarked say a lot about what Maxi brings for the team. The two surely were on the path of redemption, but there were still a lot of minutes left to play. Gonzalo “El Pipita” Higuain made sure of that following the goal. A long ball from behind found him with space to go one on one with Johnson, luckily Higuain missed the target as his chip over the goalkeeper went over the bar. The 32nd minute could have seen Castellanos score his second goal of the game, a bad clearance from a defender left him with a one-on-one situation. But unfortunately, his finishing saw the ball miss the target by a small margin. Two opportunities determined the momentum for NYCFC in the game. Inter Miami continued with the physical game as an alternative to breaking any build-up plays. A sign of frustration that would remain present for the full 90 minutes.
Castellanos would seal the victory for NYCFC before halftime. Thiago Andrade was able to dribble inside Miami’s box and caused a penalty in favor of New York. The moment called for Maxi to take the shot from the spot, but Castellanos stepped up to take the penalty. He would roll back the years and score the penalty in a “Panenka” style, chipping the ball down the middle of the goal. The celebration between Maxi and Valentin showed unity and secured the victory for NYCFC. The second half didn’t see much action, but there was a heated exchange between Higuain and Phill Neville when he was substituted. Rodolfo Pizarro also failed to make an impact for Inter Miami. Two of the references for the visitors look to be past their best form. They were still interesting to watch, nonetheless. The night also saw the return of Talles Magno after an injury. The moment was special since he came on for Maxi, who in turn got a standing ovation as he walked off the field.
NYCFC now visits Philadelphia for their next game. Castellanos now has provided 6 assists & scored 8 goals in the last 18 games for New York. Numbers that make him the player to watch. Although, the most important part is that the team is united and always looking to improve. The defeat against Pumas was difficult to take in, but it made them stronger for the games ahead.