On Saturday, July 18th, NYCFC will travel to Gilette stadium in Massachusetts to take on the New England Revolution.

Form

Geez, we thought we had it bad. New England look like we did a month ago, and at times even worse. The Revs have one victory in their past twelve matches and are currently on a five game losing streak, which is the record for this MLS season. They were recently battered by our New Jersey neighbors 4-1. Oh, and did I mention their only DP and best player, Jermaine Jones, has been injured for a month? Yeah, not the best time to be a NE fan.

After looking at that, we’ve got to be pretty happy with how life is. Pirlo, Lampard, Angelino, it could be much worse. NYC still have real issues holding a lead, but with better quality players coming in and another full week of practice, expect NYC to be confident heading into this match.

Lineups

NE (4-2-3-1): Shuttleworth (GK), Tierney (LB), Goncalves (CB), Farrell (CB), Woodberry (RB), Caldwell (CM), Dorman (CM), Aguedlo (LM), Nguyen (CAM), Bunbury (RM), Davies (ST)

-Jermaine Jones should be out for this game, with his return likely to be made in a few weeks.

NYCFC (4-4-2): Saunders (GK), Angelino (LB), Wingert (CB), Facey (CB), Iraola (RB), McNamara (LM), Jacobson (CM), Grabavoy (CM), Ballouchy (RM), Mullins (ST), Villa (ST)

-Hernandez has started training again but may not be 100% and Wingert may get the nod.

-Lampard was supposed to make his debut for sure this weekend, but reports are arising that he will not be traveling with the squad up to New England. Another week of waiting? Goddamit.

-Shelton has had another full week of training and we are praying that he at least makes the bench.

Final Thoughts

This brings me back. Our first game of the season was against the Revs, back when they were considered in the top three of the league and we were barely even a football club. Villa scored, Mullins had a tap-in against his former club, and we ended up with a two-nil win. Oh how long ago that feels.

We’re going into this game in much better form that NE and we really should win. Jermaine Jones called an impromptu players meeting earlier this week to try and get his team back into shape. Let’s hope he’s no 2005 Rafa Benitez.

Last night NYCFC won their second game in a row, with a commanding 3-1 home victory over the Montreal Impact.

Who Are You and What Have You Done With NYCFC?

Watching the game last night felt eerily similar to Arsenal’s mid-January win over Manchester City this year.

Aside from the obvious gulf in ability between the two games, this game was similar in that fans from the winning team were scratching their heads wondering: “Why don’t we always play like this?”

In Arsenal’s case, it was a willingness from the entire team to defend as a unit in big games. For NYCFC, it was to attack as one.

The first goal of the night was stunning. Not that it’ll win best goal of the week, not even that David Villa (who finally played well in a game) scored, but the way it happened.

Grabavoy picks out his long-haired compatriot McNamara, who marauds down the left flank and sends in a low cross to Mullins, who deftly lays a one-touch pass to Ballouchy, who takes a touch, PICKS HIS HEAD UP and cooly finds Villa, who does what he is payed to to: finish.

That goal, dare I say, had some Arsenal in it. And that was merely an example of how NYCFC were doing. Of course, there were awful unforced errors, and of course both Jacobson and Brovsky kicked the ball out of play when trying to make a pass, but it didn’t happen as often as usual.

There were times I didn’t recognize the team I was watching. The passing between the NYC players showed some sort of mutual understanding, some chemistry. Is this what we’ve been waiting for?

……….Poku & Mix

Let’s recap: Poku is subbed on in the 75th minute, steals the ball to assist a goal in the 76th, and scores in the 90th.

Mix Diskerud scored a volley against Germany midweek with the USMNT and comes back and plays brilliantly, scoring off the bench and dishes out some sublime passes.

So why is it that when these players start matches rather than come off the bench, they seem to have so much more trouble?

The obvious answer is that you have fresh legs coming in the 75th minute, you know you just have to run as hard as you can for 15. Also, you have energy, while everyone else on the pitch has been running for 75.

These are part of the answer. But there is another more interesting possibility. When Poku has started games, he doesn’t have the freedom to roam forward whenever he pleases. As a part of a two-man center midfield, Poku can’t throw caution to the wind and put in performances such as last night. When Poku starts, he spends a lot of time in the Pirlo-Xabi Alonso role where he picks the ball up deep and attempts to link defense and attack and get a play started. Problem is, if he’s passing it from deep, who’s he passing it up to?

A possible answer was actually something Jason Kreis tried last night. He pulled off Mullins, a striker, for Poku, a center mid. We’ve put together a lineup that would use Poku, our most promising youngster, to his full potential, while still keeping the players that Kreis holds so dear.

4-5-1

Saunders (GK), Wingert (LB), Hernandez (CB), Facey (CB), Brovsky (RB), Jacobson (CDM), McNamara (LM), Mix (CM), Poku (CM), Ballouchy (RM), Villa (ST)

Kreis has already tried a 4-5-1 this season, so it’s clear he’d be willing to do this. What works so nicely here is primarily the role of our two most dynamic midfielders, Mix and Poku. While you lose a striker, having three center mids allows at least one of Poku or Mix to make runs into the box to aide Villa. This especially will help Poku, because in this formation he can count on Mix and Jaboson behind him and do what he does best, make shit happen. With this formation, Mix and Poku have free reign to do what they like, and given that liberty we could see some real sexy football. Just saying.

Shay & Villa

Shay Facey continues to impress in stunning fashion. Only a few weeks ago Facey was struggling immensely at right back, forcing us to wonder if such a young lad was cut out to be starting matches. All that talk will hopefully have been put to bed after 3 consecutive solid performances at center back. Facey on countless occasions last night made the tackle when it mattered and he anticipated passes expertly. Facey doesn’t put his body on the line as much as Hernandez, but at 20 years of age he can already read the game far better than his 31-year-old American counterpart.

Villa has disappointed thus far this season. Although he’s got a few goals, he has an awful tendency to be anonymous in games. In most games there are 30 minute periods where it doesn’t feel that Villa is even playing. For a starter that’s worrying, for a DP that’s downright inexcusable.

Thus, seeing Villa’s determination and control of the game last night was a marvel to behold. Villa was picking the ball up from his teammates, playing little one-two’s and taking dangerous shots on goal. He would track back and defend when needed and there were few moments during the first 70 minutes when I didn’t see him doing something proactive. With a goal and an assist to his name Villa will feel accomplished, and rightly so.

It’s Not All Sunshine and Rainbows

With this being only our third ever win and probably the only game we’ve actually played legitimate team footie it’s understandable that I’ve spent most of this lauding the key men in the win. But there were still way too many things we did wrong. For some reasons our defenders still have a horribly stupid tendency to pass it directly to the opposition in our own half. David Villa still waits too damn long to pull the trigger, whether that be a pass or a shot. We inexplicably kick the ball out of bounds when we have possession.

These are problems that need to be fixed, or at least addressed. But right now we’ve got back-to-back wins and a Poku goal. Life is good.

On To The Next One

Our next MLS game is this Saturday away to Toronto FC. But before then we have a midweek matchup against local rivals Cosmos in the 4th round of the U.S. Open Cup.

It will be interesting to see how many regular starters Kreis & Co. will decide to play against the NASL side. With these two wins under our belt, Kreis might look to Saturday’s Toronto game and play a much weakened side against the Cosmos. However, NYC will want to keep the good form going and a win on Wednesday could be crucial.

Toronto will be a stern test to say the least. A team packed full of quality, star player Giovinco has been looking like an early contender for regular season MVP.

If NYC were ever going to stand a chance against Toronto, it was going to be with good form and a stellar team performance. We’ve got the first, let’s see if we can manage the second.

On the the next one.

On Saturday June 13th Yankee Stadium will host the Montreal Impact.

Form

The Montreal Impact are a hit and miss team. After making it to the CONCACAF finals while finishing in dead last the previous season, Montreal has the potential to be the best and worst team there is.

Recently, though, they’ve been doing well. They’ve been making up for lost time in the MLS with a packed schedule and have surprised with a string of good performances. They impressively beat Vancouver at home, recently ousted the Columbus Crew, and have won four out of their last five games in Major League Soccer. Not bad.

NYCFC haven’t faired quite as well. After a holy-shit-what? away win last weekend, the team will hope to build on that “form” with a home win. Problem is, our win was due more to luck and mistakes by the opposition rather than good footie from us. But a win is a win and it’s possible this could spark the team into something passable as sport.

Lineups

Montreal (4-2-3-1): Bush (GK), Toia (LB), Ciman (CB), Leferve (CB), Gagnon-Lapare (RB), Bernier (CM), Reo-Coker (CM), Alexander (LM), Piatti (CAM), Duka (RM), McInerney (ST)

-Montreal have a host of injuries, most notably Kenny Cooper, Eric Miller, Hassoun Camara, and Duka may have a slight head injury which could keep him out of tomorrow’s game.

NYC (4-4-2): Saunders (GK), Wingert (LB), Hernandez (CB), Facey (CB), Brovsky (RB), McNamara (LM), Jacobson (CM), Poku (CM), Ballouchy (RM), Mullins (ST), Villa (ST)

-Shelton is still out with a knee problem, while full backs Calle, Williams, and Brandt all have muscle strains and will be out.

-Kreis could change up the formation of his defense, but after the man of the match performance Facey had it’s unlikely he will be sacrificed.

-Mix could also start over Poku, but after being with the national team and missing training it’s far more likely we’ll see him off the bench.

Final Thoughts

It won’t be easy for NYC, but it never really is.

Mullins scored the winner last weekend which is why we predict him getting the start, but the issue is him and Villa seem to lack any form of communication. One of the biggest issues is that they are similar forwards, guys who look to get a lot of touches, maybe move the ball out wide, and have a shot or cross it in. The problem that arises is with these similar styles there’s never any Nemec or other forward to get on the end of the crosses. Not saying Nemec would be able to make anything out of it, but Mullins and Villa have to figure out their shit if they’re playing up top.

Anyway, this’ll be a tough one. It seems likely NYC will get a tie, but if Montreal come out swinging things could get ugly.

Let’s go Poku. Give ’em hell.

Tonight NYC take on the Philadelphia Union for the third time this season. Welcome to the MLS.

Form

After playing against Philly twice it was clear that they’d be hanging out with us near the bottom of the table. And this season has mostly been that, yet recently they’ve had a good run of form.

Their 3 nil home win against the Columbus Crew continued a run that has seen them win 3 of their last 4 games, scoring 7 goals and only allowing 2.

But NYC shouldn’t be too nervous. The Union are a highly inconsistent side. Every match they play there is a chance they won’t show up and that bodes well for NYC. Truth be told, Philly are one of the few teams in the MLS that NYC has a fair chance of beating every time they play.

NYCFC’s form is still crap, but the Houston Dynamo game was bearable. Getting a point is nice, and almost scoring the game winner multiple times in the second half, including a diving header from Jeb Brovsky that hit the post, will give fans some hope. It was ok, but still far from what we need.

Lineups

Union (4-2-3-1): Sylvestre (GK), Fabinho (LB), Edu (CB), Vitoria (CB), Gaddis (RB), Nogueira (CM), Carroll (CM), Le Toux (LM), Maidana (CAM), Wegner (RM), CJ Sapong (ST)

-Forward Aristeguieta and center back Vitoria are both doubts after picking up muscle strains.

NYCFC (4-4-2): Saunders (GK), Brovsky (LB), Wingert (CB), Hernandez (CB), Facey (RB), Alvarez (LM), Jacobson (CM), Poku (CM), Ballouchy (RM), Villa (ST), Nemec (ST)

-Calle and Williams are still out, while Shelton is a doubt after picking up a left knee strain.

-With Mix Diskerud out banging the Netherlands 4-3, this could be a great opportunity to give Poku a chance to shine. With Lampard and reports of Pirlo coming through the tabloids, earning a center mid berth seems harder than ever for Poku. If he starts and impresses he could make a strong case for himself. But this is all probably useless conjecture seeing as Kreis will probably just play McNamara or some shit.

Final Thoughts

Philly are just about the only team that NYC honestly has a chance of beating every time they play. However, the Union are playing fairly well at home and will look to dispense of an NYC team that has probably forgotten what winning means.

This could be a real opportunity for NYC to do something, but, as always, we’ll probably lose.

With Footie in the States Part 1 and 2 looking at soccer’s past and present, part 3 will look towards the future.

As every cliched movie knows, the kids are our future. But in the case of MLS, this statement could not be more important.

Don Garber and the suits of MLS have declared that they want the MLS to be one of the top leagues in the world by 2022. That claim is more of a motivator than a realistic goal.

At the base of this discussion is the quality of play. Because no matter how much money there is, which cities the teams are in, or how many people are watching, it’s the footie that matters. With all the kerfuffle surrounding teams, it’s easy to forget that. And the league has a long way to go.

Retirement League

If you know anything about the MLS, you know it has a reputation of being a retirement league: a league where aging famous players go for one last pay day. While many argue that this has changed, one need only look at recent signings to see it is still prevalent. Frank Lampard, David Villa, Kaka, and Steven Gerrard were all acquired this year and are all 33 or older.

Most of the high profile DP’s who are still in their prime are US players. It’s unfortunate that 8 years after David Beckham arrived in LA, the MLS’s biggest players are still former greats rather than greats.

The Children

Thus, it seems that this trend will continue. Giovinco’s signing is a fascinating rarity which we’d love to see happen more often, but the more realistic goal is to invest in our youth.

We are at a crossroads. MLS, and all MLS franchise’s need to pour money into youth development or else this league will slowly recede into the shadow of world football. Youth development in the US is arguably 20 years behind Europe. The amount of money spent on scouting, facilities, and training sessions for all age groups in Europe is immense.

What is so promising about the US is that we have the available recourses, we are a highly developed country, and we are traditionally competitive. This league will improve slightly by having the David Villa’s, but if we started producing some more homegrown talent (see: Gyasi Zardes), what a league we’d become.

The League We’d Become

One of the biggest issues in Europe is giving young and promising talent a chance to play consistent football. Since the US isn’t even close to the level of the premier league, we’d be able to give an 18-year-old American kid much more playing time than abroad. He’d be able to play in his home country and even hometown. And he might even pull a Dempsey by sticking around in the States and rejecting lucrative offers from Europe.

It’s so simple. We just can’t attract the young talent from abroad, and probably never will. So rather than eating up Europe’s trash, why not just start cooking better food here?

Imagine. A league full of young talented Americans rather than aging hamstring-pulling internationals.

It would be a feeder for the USMNT, and much like the World Cup winning teams of Spain and Germany, most of our national team would play in the same domestic league. Some would play on the same team and build up partnerships that they could go and use at international level.

The benefits of the MLS transitioning from a retirement league to a homegrown league are immeasurable. But one thing is for certain, if any of this is to happen, the MLS and the franchise’s have to grow some balls and do this correctly.

Only with proper academies, proper funding, and extensive scouting can the MLS one day hope to be one of the top leagues in the world.

Last night NYCFC lost 1-0 in Toyota Park to the Chicago Fire

Where To Begin/MLS

After last night’s performance we wondered if this game was even worth writing about.

With Josh Saunders serving an interesting suspension, Ryan Meara, the young promising goalkeeper, was given a chance to shine. In the 20th minute he did exactly the opposite.

In what can only be explained as stunning, Meara tried to keep a ball from going out for a corner and somehow gifted the ball to the Fire’s Ghanian DP, Accam, only for him to find an open net waiting. It’s plays like those that the MLS will try to forget about, because they show just how far behind other leagues they are.

Of course, one moment of stupidity does not merit such a claim, but that entire game is a good example. Chicago were up a man the entire match, had copious opportunities to end this game, and the only goal they could get was a fuck-up from a keeper?

Look at some MLS highlights from these past few weeks. It’s astonishing how many of them are just really bad goals. A player will mishit a ball and it will luckily go in. The ball will take a massive deflection and go in. These just aren’t quality goals.

Look at Omar Gonzalez’s late equalizer last week. It was heralded as the superstar American center back saving his team late in the match, what a hero. But it was clearly an own goal off a lucky deflection in a crowded penalty box. That goal belonged more to physics than it did the LA Galaxy.

Point is, Chicago Fire’s only goal came from a defensive blunder. They had opportunity after opportunity to improve on that and they failed. This is not only representative of this match, but this league in general.

From Bad To Worse. And Then Someone Shot Us In The Face With a 12-Gauge Shotgun

Okay, so Ryan Meara messed up.

Oh, also Jacobson got a deserved red card for a last man tackle on Accam. In the 23rd minute.

Oh, and Adam Nemec and Javier Calle got injured in the first half.

This game was terribly difficult to sit through as an NYCFC fan. We were unlucky, yes, but we also played horribly.

Kreis will attribute much of that poor play to our being down a man, but that’s unjust. We couldn’t even pass the ball well amongst ourselves in the back. Mix gave the ball away, Watson-Siriboe almost pulled a Meara, and Brovsky deserved 7 yellow cards.

It is not worth writing about the individual failures out there last night, because everyone failed.

On To The Next One

Oh, did we mention that our next game is against Obafemi Martins, Dempsey, and the Seattle Sounders?

I’m sure we’ll be great.

On to the next one, I guess.