By Juan Carlos Maygua
The team was on the road once again for the second match of the season. It was also a chance for redemption after a difficult defeat last week. The Vancouver Whitecaps are among the many teams motivated to beat the defending champions, so the motivation was there. This fixture also marked NYCFC’s return to Vancouver after two years, a long trip, but it’s good to have a sense of normality returning gradually.
Not there yet
There’s always pressure when you play away from home. NYCFC however, will play this season with “the defending Champions” title every match. Something that adds on pressure, but it’s something that I’m sure both the team and fans will embrace proudly. How is this relevant to the match you ask? Well, because I think that such pressure could be playing a (very small) part, especially in these last two games. But NYCFC started very strong in the first 45 minutes, with Talles Magno pulling the strings in attack. Unfortunately, it was one of those games where the team just couldn’t hit the target. Alexander Callens saw his header hit the crossbar after a good cross by Maxi Morales in the 15th minute. However, Admunsen had the best chance of the match in the 30th minute, after a combined play down the wing saw his shot miss the goal by inches. A chance that would have changed the game for sure. Castellanos saw his chances with the ball cut to a minimum, something that was bound to happen after his goal-scoring season. The opposition has been able to keep him out of the game with man-to-man marking systems, It’s working so far but he will break free and score goals sooner than later.
The score remained throughout the second half and changes were made. This is where things got a bit tricky in my perspective. Santiago Rodriguez was the go-to substitution since Keaton Parks is still finding his best fitness level. But subsisting Talles Magno halfway through the second half was not the best choice, he was still creating danger despite running out of energy with every passing minute. The Whitecaps also did their part and turned the game physical, frustrating Taty and contributing to his yellow card & substitution. A good call by the coaching staff since they would have probably kept on provoking him if he stayed on the field.
It was a tough result, but in general lines, one could say it’s better to walk away with one point than without nothing. NYCFC will now return to NYC for their upcoming CCL fixture against Comunicaciones and their home opener on Saturday.
Small side note… two games with the second kit and no win, hopefully, it doesn’t catch a bad vibe as we say.