By Juan Carlos Maygua
The Champions were finally back home after a historic MLS Cup run. It was the first time the fans were going to see their heroes since the fixture against the Portland Timbers last year. But as always nothing goes according to the plan, and the weather conditioned what could’ve been a perfect day. Despite this, the support in the stands was still significant. “Rain or shine” or in this case snow, the team finally showcased the trophy and unveiled the star in the crest. A moment that was long-awaited by fans that stayed with the team throughout these last 7 years. The only thing that would be the icing on the cake was a dominant victory at home.
Heading in the right direction
The team is already starting to feel the pressure of having back-to-back fixtures. They have already played 3 games in less than two weeks, and they have an upcoming CCL fixture on Tuesday. If you add one injury to the equation, things definitely look difficult. But team depth is one of the first things that have clicked in recent fixtures. From having options for one position on the field to using one player in different positions to make tactical adjustments. Something that Andress Jasson has done well as he fills the void left by Tayvon Gray’s injury. A player with more functionality in midfield being able to play a defensive position allows you to keep the tactical set up unchanged. In general lines, everyone is contributing to the team, when everyone is on the same page sky is the limit.
The match against Montreal gave the team an opportunity to make a statement. While the weather did make that difficult, they got the job done. Keyton Parks had a very good performance in his second start of the season. His vision to find teammates in open spaces set the tone from the start. He found an opening for Maxi Morales by the third minute, unfortunately his shot missed the target. It was the teams first successful chance after pressing high up the field. NYCFC capitalized from that method shortly after a bad clearance from Montreal’s defense. Parks was able to put the ball back into the box and after after a touch by Talles Magno, Callens took a shot like true striker and put the team in front. A perfect start to a very cold game, but Montreal did manage to answer back in the 13th minute. NYCFC was caught off guard in a corner kick, luckily nobody was able to made contact and the cross went wide from the goal. Despite this NYCFC kept the high pressing formula and found another opening as a result. In a moment of brilliance by Santiago Rodriguez, saw the goalkeeper off his line and chipped the ball to score the second goal. The soccer IQ to pull off those plays has to be extremely high, it surprised everyone for sure. With the score in favor of NYCFC it was all about control and just when they would wrap up the game with a third goal. The team would benefit from a 3 goal lead
before halftime, specially knowing that theres anothe game in a few days. Unfortunately two key chances were missed and the match was still open for the second half.
“We just have to finish the chances we create” a more than resounding phrase by head coach Ronny Deila in the post match press conference. The reason behind it? Montreal would come out and pull one back in the second half after Dode Mihailovic made a run down the wing a connected a cross with Zachary Guillard. Montreal would follow up with the pressure and forced a double save from Sean Johnson in the 55th minute after the defense failed to clear the ball. Had those chances found the net, the missed opportunities from the first half would haunt the players and the story might have been different. Thus why I emphasized the managers quote. One thing that I have to point out is the quick reaction from the team wherever they have difficult moments. Andres Jasson made a perfect cross to find Talles Magno inside the box. Despite having two defenders pressing him, Talles was able to header the ball into the net. Montreals momentum only lasted close to 7 minutes. A response that we already saw in the CCL against Comunicaciones.
The third goal allowed NYCFC to make the much needed substitutions. Remember what I said about everyone being on the same page? Well the changes didn’t affect the dynamic of the team. If anything it showed that everyone wants to stand out and help the team. Heber, Thiago Andrade, and Nicolas Acevedo gave the team a new face and got in the action immediately. The Brazilian connection helped NYCFC finish off the game in the 83rd minute. Thiago Andrade picked up a bad pass from the defenders and left him open to score against the goalkeeper. His shot had enough power to seal the game and give the fans the perfect home opening game.
The result proved that the team will keep the Bronx as their fortress this season. It also gave glimpses of Talles Magno’s incredible potential. His performance awarded him the MVP award from the fans in only his third game of the regular season. We definitely have to keep an eye out for him this season, especially considering a possible departure from Taty in the summer. In general lines, its a victory that leaves everyone with confidence in the team. Wining by 4 goals despite not having your star striker score speaks volumes. The team is hungry for more and have no doubt that we have yet to see NYCFC at their full potential.