NYCFC vs Philadelphia Union: Preview

On Saturday, April 11th NYCFC travel to Philly to take on the Union.

Form 

Philadelphia are playing badly. They have yet to win a game this season and have lost their past three. Their defense has been in shambles and their midfielders often look void of ideas.

However, they were minutes away from a huge away win at Kansas City last Monday, only for Kansas to score two goals in stoppage time. Philly will certainly be encouraged by their almost-upset, but odds are the morale will be depleted after being stripped of the win. It seems, no matter how hard Philly try, they can’t win.

In front of their home fans this time, they’ll hope for better.

NYCFC have had a nice little vacation. Their bye week came at a perfect time, with injuries and disappointing form creeping up on them. Shelton and Nemec are back from duty, Villa, Velasquez, and Williams are back from injury, and Facey is no longer suspended (although reports indicate he is doubtful for the match through injury).

With a near full squad at his disposal head coach Jason Kreis will go into Saturday’s game with a fresh squad that hopefully have been addressing some of the early season issues. NYC have been very inconsistent in their play and will hope to make the best out of a match against very weak opponents.

Lineups

Philly (4-3-2-1): M’Bholi (GK), Gaddis (RB), Vitoria (CB), Edu (CB), Fabinho (LB), Carrol (CM), Lahoud (CM), Wegner (RM), Pfeffer (CAM), Le Toux (LM), Aristeguieta (ST)

-M’Bholi might be benched after a few disappointing games.

-Watch out for Philly’s Venezuelan striker Aristeguieta. He’s on a good run of form, with 3 goals already this season.

NYCFC (4-4-2): Saunders (GK), Williams (RB), Hernandez (CB), Wingert (CB), Brovsky (LB), Mix (CM), Jacobson (CM), Velasquez (RM), Grabavoy (LM), Villa (ST), Nemec (ST)

-While this is most likely what Kreis will play, we’d love to see Poku and Watson-Siriboe get starts after very promising outings from them against Kansas. While there is little to no chance that Poku gets the start, we hope Kreis noticed Watson-Siriboe’s chemistry with Hernandez and will give that partnership a chance to flourish.

Final Thoughts

This looks like a great opportunity for NYC to bounce back from their first loss of the season. The Union have been very weak defending set pieces and winning aerial duels this season, which bodes well for NYCFC’s main tactical plan: “Kick it to Nemec.” Playing Philly twice in the same week means two probable wins, assuming we play well.

And that’s a big assumption, just ask the Colorado Rapids. The Rapids are basically the worst team in the league (no wins in last 18 matches) and they gave NYC a very difficult time.

If NYCFC come out swinging, this game could be wrapped up in the first half. Philly are in a rut of form and we should take advantage. Let’s hope it’s always sunny in Philadelphia for NYCFC.

How To Watch

Ah, baseball. Welcome to NYCFC being co-owned by the Yankees. The match against Philly will be tape delayed (yes- you heard me right) because of the Yankees match against the Boston Red Sox. Let’s go team!

The game will thus be shown an hour later on YES, so turn off your cell phone, Bleacher Report updates and other crap so you don’t hear about Adam Nemec’s strike before you see it.

We’ll see you after the game. Yay baseball!

Footie in the States, Part 2: AMERICA!!!!

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There’s two things most Americans love more than anything: Masturbation and America itself.

So, when the US has any involvement in an international sporting event, we go apeshit. Our infatuation with watching America beat the rest of the world on TV is actually really simple. We’re masturbating TO America. It’s our two favorite things!

Thus, the United States national soccer team was always likely to be the biggest selling point of soccer to the general public. Now that it’s so easy to watch these international games on TV’s in pubs and households, World Cup fever spreads faster than Ebola never did.

But aside from that being a witty joke about American media’s amazing ability to scare the shit out of everyone for profit purposes, it highlights another phenomenon. World Cup “fever” is actually very similar to fake disease outbreaks. They happen every four years or so, the media gets all crazy , and then we hear nothing about it until the next time one comes around.

Similar to soccer counterculture, footie in this context is more about the social aspect than the sport itself. People leave work early and gather in local bars and scream if they see a goal scored by the US. I’ve gotten far too many texts from people who never watch footie asking me what I’m doing for the game. If you ever learn the name of one foreign player who’s not Messi or Ronaldo I might join you.

But they usually don’t.

I’ve been to the past 3 World Cups. What really kills me is going to USMNT games. Don’t get me wrong, I love seeing our boys play against the world’s best, but it’s the fans that kill me. There are a ridiculous amount of US fans that spend 90 percent of the match organizing chants, doing the wave, and making sure their face paint looks good. I’ve seen people with their fucking backs to the game in order to set up chants.

That’s fucking ridiculous. You spent all this money to come all the way down to Brazil, spent money to go to this match, and you care more about the bullshit than the beautiful game.

The focus during the World Cup is on America, not footie. That’s the issue.

Yet, I should stop bitching for a little. There was a time, only a decade ago, when soccer was still a sport for “pussies.” That stereotype certainly exists today, but to a far lesser extent. And in major urban areas, that stereotype is quickly being eradicated.

Those friends who were annoyingly texting me to go hang out at some bar to watch the US didn’t even know the US had a soccer team in the World Cup in 2006.

Perhaps despite all my bitching, there are positives to be found. Take, for example, NYCFC.

When NYCFC was first launched, it was on the coattails of the most recent World Cup. When asked, a large amount of supporters said that they hadn’t been footie fans before, but the WC piqued their interest and they decided to give their new, cool, local footie team a shot.

That, ladies and gentlemen, is progress.

Maybe one day we’ll graduate from “I believe that we will win” to winning.

Footie in the States, Part 1: Soccer As Counterculture

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“Footie in the States” is a series of articles which take an in-depth look at soccer’s past and future popularity. 

Last summer I got off at Bedford Ave on the L line to get to Smorgasburg, a food market which is basically the best thing ever. I was sporting a favorite jersey of mine, the 2014 Real Madrid home kit with Sergio Ramos on the back.

As I walked along, some guy in trendy clothing and some hip hat commented on my jersey as he walked by. He proceeded to tell me that he didn’t know who Ramos was and asked “why I didn’t get Ronaldo” on the back. Thanks, fancy hat guy.

I was surprised, though, that some random young dude recognized a Real Madrid kit. Granted, Madrid are literally one of the most famous and successful clubs in the history of footie, but I’ve worn that kit a bunch of times with no comment.

So I realized that somewhere along the way, soccer became “cool.” American football, basketball, and baseball were just too mainstream. This trend was mainly in large urban cities, such as NYC, Chicago, Boston etc.

European footie is relatively unknown. Wearing a footie kit is akin to wearing an obscure band t-shirt. In fact, footie as counterculture in the States centers more around fashion than it does the sport itself. Countless occasions I’ve run into someone donning a Liverpool or Arsenal kit who can’t name a single player on the team, nor have they ever watched a game.

Furthermore, footie is representative of youth. Most people who partake in footie as counterculture are aged 25-35. They view the more established sports as part of the old, and soccer is the new. It’s a form of rebellion, which is inherently tied to youth.

Most of these people aren’t fans of the sport itself, rather they are fans of the idea of the sport. They want to be nonconformists and feel that the other sports available are too commercialized or generally popular. Footie seems a viable option.

Thus, what has been a way of life for so long in Europe becomes a trend in the United States.

It’s hard wanting soccer to catch on in the US. After being so desperate for people to recognize the sport as legitimate, it seems counterintuitive to dismiss any newcomer to the sport, no matter how silly their reason for becoming a fan is. And trust us, we’ve seen some morally deplorable reasons for fandom.

Some guys just want to be part of the cool sport in an effort to be different. A staggering amount just want to buy all the merchandise and show everyone in the world just how big a fan they are. Some believe footie is the “next big thing” and want to jump on the bandwagon. Some guys just want to start blogs that no one reads.

The value of footie as counterculture is unclear. On one hand any new fan is encouraging, but how beneficial is a fan that doesn’t really care about the sport itself?

The Day After (Kansas City)

Yesterday NYCFC lost their first match in their nascent history, falling 1-0 to Sporting KC and Ike Opara’s rising header.

Finally, We Lost

As I was ruminating over this loss last night I came to the odd realization that I was slightly happy.

Granted, no one wants to lose, especially at home, but it’s really about time we lost a game.

Against New England we were more than lucky that they didn’t hit back with a few goals after Villa’s opener. Against Colorado we were awful and were very lucky to leave with a point. We haven’t been playing particularly well, but we’ve been undefeated so it didn’t really matter.

Now that we’ve lost, we can begin some much needed introspection about our play, and realize the changes we desperately need to make. With 14 days until our next match, NYC are in a perfect position to come out blazing for our next game. With all our internationals back, and Facey, Villa, and hopefully Velasquez back, the next two weeks should be used wisely.

The Changes We Desperately Need To Make

NYCFC need to stop making the same mistakes over and over and over.

With Patrick Mullins as lone striker, we repeatedly mistook him for Adam Nemec and kept booting the ball up to him, only for him to be double marked by the center backs and lose the header every time.

An obvious newcomer to soccer at Yankee stadium said it the best: “They keep trying to pass it to him, and it never works! I don’t understand.”

Neither do we, random guy. Neither do we. You’d think they’d stop doing that after the fifth or sixth time it didn’t work, but the problem was they didn’t really have any alternative.

We still struggle tremendously in transitioning the ball out from our defense into the midfield. Mix and Jacobson always check to the ball but almost always pass it right back to the defender, rather than turn and pick their head up. All we’ve really got in our attacking repertoire at present is the “kick and pray” method.

1-800-Left-Midfield

Jason Kreis has repeatedly stated his adoration of Ned Grabavoy. Grabavoy won the MLS Cup with RSL and Kreis says he’s one of the most under appreciated players in the MLS. So, we’ve given him the benefit of the doubt. And yes, he assisted David Villa in the home opener. But we’re really not convinced.

Firstly, it’s his positioning.

Credit: WhoScored.com

Credit: WhoScored.com

If he’s playing left midfield, he’s doing a horrible job. In the heatmap above, not only do you see how clustered our midfield is, you can see how Grabavoy (#11) spends most of his time playing as a central midfielder. Countless occasions last night players turned to their left side, hoping to see a player getting wide, and found that Ned Grabavoy was somewhere in the middle of the pitch.

Add onto this his completely unmarked headed miss in front of goal, and Ned didn’t have a great game.

We’re not suggesting he be immediately dropped. But if he’s playing as a left midfielder, Kreis should really tell him to act accordingly. Furthermore, Ned seems untouchable. He’s played 90 minutes of every match this season. When we’re desperate for a goal, as we were last night, it’s worth pulling him off for a more attack-minded individual.

Kwame & Kwadwo

The biggest positive of this match were the emergences of Kwame Watson-Siriboe and Kwadwo Poku.

Watson-Siriboe was handed his first start of the season as Kreis was forced to shuffle his back line due to the absence of both available right backs. If this was an “opportunity” for anyone to impress, it was him. And he impressed.

Siriboe was dominant in all respects and aside from one lapse in judgment, him and Hernandez were utterly dominant in the air. It’s a testament to these center backs that Dom Dwyer was anonymous for the entirety of the match. Siriboe was tenacious and domineering in his first game for NYC. His impressive chemistry with Hernandez coupled with his brilliant individual display should earn him a starting spot. He was better than Wingert at center back. The defense was better. He should start, it’s really that simple.

With so many midfielders injured or on international duty, Kwadwo Poku was given an unlikely cameo off the bench. All we have to say is: Wow.

Earlier we mentioned Mix and Jacobson’s inability to turn with the ball and carry it with pace. Ladies and gentleman, we give you Kwadwo Poku.

It was exhilarating to see Poku pick up the ball in the heart of the midfield, turn quickly, beat a player or two with some deft touches, and play an attacking through ball. Poku was the catalyst that NYCFC badly needed. Every time he was marauding up the field with the ball, NYC looked like they might score. Truly an inspired performance from the young Ghanaian. He’s said before that he models himself after the Manchester City powerhouse Yaya Toure. After yesterday you can see the potential is there.

We’re yet to see Jason Kreis take too many risks in player selection. Kwame and Kwadwo were shining beacons of hope in an otherwise desolate game from New York City. Will Kreis take notice? We hope so.

On To The Next One

14 days to prepare for the next match away to Philadelphia Union is exactly what NYC need at the moment.

With Shelton and Nemec returning from international play, Facey returning from suspension, Villa, Williams, and perhaps Velasquez back from injury, Kreis will have close to a full squad to work with. After what we hope was an eye-opening loss, NYC have ample time to address some of their issues and bounce back.

They say you learn more from failure than success. Let’s hope that’s true for Kreis & Co.

On to the next one.

NYCFC vs Sporting KC: Preview

On Saturday March 28th NYCFC will suit up for their second home game of the season, taking on Sporting Kansas City.

Form

Sporting KC are quite the anomaly as of late. Footie fans will recognize star players such as Graham Zusi, Matt Besler, Dom Dwyer (just to name a few) and wonder how this team has yet to win a game this season.

It’s not for a lack of trying, though. Sporting KC actually lead the MLS in most shots taken with 45. Kansas City will be hoping to hand NYCFC their first loss of the season, and with the amount of shots and chances being created you figure eventually their finishing will improve.

New York City are top of the Eastern Conference with a win and two draws, but they are flattering to deceive. In two of their three games their opponents have been shown red cards. They have faced 47 shots in total and have come out of these games very lucky to have Josh Saunders playing outrageously well and only one goal allowed.

There were some bright spots, though. If David Villa can shake off his inability to play footie away from Yankee Stadium, the NYC faithful could be in for another man of the match performance (or the cute/annoying Americanism: “Player of the game”).

Jason Kreis has said before this season that he believes this team has the most depth that he’s worked with. That’s quite a claim, considering the meat of this team consists of MLS’s sloppy seconds, a second tier Bundesliga player, and fresh-outta-college rookies. At his most recent press conference Kreis spoke of this game as an “opportunity” for some fringe players who haven’t gotten a chance. Let’s see how they do.

Lineups

Sporting KC (4-2-3-1): Marin (GK), Sinovic (LB), Besler (CB), Opara (CB), Dia (RB), Feilhaber (CM), Nagamura (CM), Nemeth (LM), Anor (CAM), Zusi (RM), Dwyer (ST)

-Kansas City will consider themselves very lucky to have retained the services of Besler and Zusi, as both were omitted from the USMNT squad.

-Espinoza, however, will be absent (Honduras). This will be difficult for Sporting, who have come to rely on his ability to control games in these first few weeks.

-Dom Dwyer has been surprisingly wasteful in front of goal this season, missing easy opportunities. He may have a point to prove and will come out as determined as ever.

NYC (4-2-2): Saunders (GK), Brandt (LB), Wingert (CB), Hernandez (CB), Brovsky (RB), Grabavoy (LM), Diskerud (CM), Jacobson (CM), Calle/Ballouchy/McNamara (RM), Villa (ST), Taylor/Mullins (ST)

-The back line is hard to predict, as both available right backs (Facey suspended, Williams injured) are out. It’s likely Kreis would want to keep his center back pairing the same and switch up the full backs. Yet, it’s possible Wingert goes out to full back (the position he played all of last year) and Watson-Siriboe partners Hernandez.

-With Velasquez injured and Shelton on international duty, right midfield is up for grabs. Ballouchy started the first game of the season there but was largely ineffective. Kreis could bring in Thomas McNamara or keep it Colombian with Calle and his rocket of a left foot.

-Kreis mentioned this week that he wants whichever striker he plays to bring the strength and hold up play that Nemec (gone for Slovakia qualifying) usually provides. Only problem is that no one can do that. Tony Taylor’s biggest asset is his pace and Mullins is more akin to Villa than Nemec. It will be interesting to see what Kreis conjures up.

Final Thoughts

MLS is one of a few handful of leagues in the world that will play competitive footie this weekend. With injuries and key players (Nemec, Shelton, Velasquez, Williams) absent, this will be a test for Kreis and his much heralded “depth.”

Sporting KC will look to jump-start their season and will want to be the first team to beat NYC at the historic Yankee Stadium.

Will the fringe players impress? Will Kreis change his tactics without Adam “I win every single header” Nemec? Will Sporting tick without Espinoza? Can Dom Dwyer score a goal?

We’ll have to wait and see. Either way, this game is one to watch.

How to Watch

Talking about watching, if you live in the Tri-State area you can catch this game on YES (assuming you don’t have DISH).

You can also watch it online, on your tablet, or whatever small screen you have by using the FOX Sports GO app or going to www.foxsports.com/foxsportsgo (if you’ve got Cablevision or TWC).

Kick off at 7pm ET. Let’s see what happens.

A Concerned Cityzen

“A Concerned Cityzen” is a segment in which a friend of NYCFootie, Christopher Dobens, discusses NYCFC and the world of football.  

Before our home opener against New England, my only experience at the new Yankee Stadium had been in the press box. And for a soccer game, those seats really suck. So I was eager to arrive early that day and have a look around. A baseball stadium is undeniably far from an ideal venue for soccer, but I have to say that they certainly made the best of it.

We were fortunate enough to snag front row seats in Section 206 for the season. Though they’re far from center pitch, our seats offer some of the best sightlines in the stadium. We’re fairly close to the action yet have enough elevation to see the full field of play. How did we get such good seats? We panned ahead, and acted early.

But not everyone was as pleased with their Yankee Stadium experience as we were – especially those who failed to plan ahead or arrive early. In fact, some fans sounded quite irate. So as we prepare for our second home match, I thought I’d take a look back at some of the complaints – and offer a few suggestions.

Getting to the Game on Time

Knowing that this was NYC FC’s first game, and a large crowd was expected, we opted to arrive extra early. We got off the subway around 3:15 PM or so and had a short wait to get in. I’ve waited in much longer lines for World Cup matches. And compared to those, there was surprisingly little chaos at Yankee Stadium.

Now if you arrived any time after 4:00 PM, you probably deserve whatever hassle you got. You’ve had two years to plan for this day. And all day to get to the stadium. Rather than complaining about the consequences of your own decisions, I encourage you to plan better for our next home match. Anticipation, my friends. Expect the unexpected.

Food for Thought

Another grumble has been about the lines for food and bathrooms. After finding our way into the stadium around 3:30 PM, we made two laps – one on the lower level and another on the second level – before taking our seats. Halfway through our circumnavigations, we stopped to stuff our face at Parm. There was no line when we arrived. There was no line when we left. And it was glorious.

The truth is that there are some things you can do during halftime at a soccer game, and there are some things you cannot do during halftime at a soccer game. The interval is only 15 minutes long, and that’s a much shorter time than most realize.

It is enough time to stretch your legs and have a look at the people around you. It’s plenty of time to reiterate your argument about the referee’s incompetence to your friends. And you can easily call or text people who couldn’t make it to the game, or who are sitting too far away in the stadium to visit in person.

However, it isn’t enough time to get something to eat or drink in any stadium, except maybe for a Chivas USA home game last year. Nor does it offer sufficient time to walk over and see some friends on the other side of the stadium. And, in most cases, it isn’t even enough time to hit the bathroom.

Put on Your Big Boy Pants

Now if you are 15 or under, I’ll give you a pass on not realizing this. But everyone else should know better. And if this does come as news to you, I recommend designating someone in your group to play the mother role, asking everyone before the game if they need a snack or need to make potty. And if you are old like me, then be smart and don’t drink beers during the game or you may struggle to make it for the full 90 minutes without needing to take a leak.

Remember, you are supposed to be there to watch the game. This isn’t a day at the mall, full of shopping, eating, and drinking.

Sure, you can get up and head to the concessions before the first half is over. That’s how a lot of fans in England manage to get a pie or a cup of tea. And a lot of them still fail to make it back to their seat in time for the start of the second half. But that is their choice. Just as it’s your choice. So don’t whine about the club or Yankee Stadium failing to meet your feeding schedule.

We’ve got our second home game coming up this weekend. Plan ahead. Be realistic. And come to terms with what matters most – the action on the field, not in the food court.

The Day After (Colorado)

I think watching the first half of that game took a good five-six years off my life expectancy, such was the outrageous stress and pain it caused me. The game improved a lot in the second half, but overall a pretty poor display from our club. Let’s start with the first 45.

The First Half

There was a first half? Someone should’ve told NYCFC because I really don’t think they knew there was a soccer game going on.

David Villa was entirely absent, as he’s prone to do in away matches (see: Orlando City).

Velasquez tried to make something happen, but every single time he did he either ran into someone or horribly misplaced his pass.

Mix Diskerud had a nightmare of an evening. He seemed to give away every pass he made in the opponents half, and bizarrely had the ball stolen from him off a short corner. To quote another white guy who hasn’t been good for a long time: Will the real Mix Diskerud please stand up?

Nemec and Jason Hernandez were the only visible bright spots. Nemec worked tirelessly to try and create something while Hernandez is proving an absolute beast in the heart of the back four, often making crucial last-ditch tackles.

The Second Half

This was a much stronger performance. You figure Kreis set them straight in the locker room at half.

There was a lot of encouraging interplay in the opponents half, which seldom happened in the first. Nemec and Villa started combining better, and on another day Villa might have buried some of his chances.

NYC started moving the ball around the top of the box well, especially wreaking havoc down the left flank with Jeb Brovsky overlapping nicely.

Shelton was again the super-sub, putting in a very solid 30 minutes, linking with Villa, holding up the ball, and using some of his staggering pace.

Possession for the Sake of Possession

There’s a common argument amongst footie fans about how useful possession really is. Often teams such as Barcelona and Spain are lauded for their ability to keep over 70% of possession in a match, but sometimes that possession leads to zero goals. So, possession for the sake of possession is not really useful.

In last night’s match NYCFC had a lot of possession in their own half. Especially in the first 45 minutes the defense was essentially passing it between themselves and our ‘keeper until Saunders inevitably kicked it into Colorado’s half only for the 6’7 Rapids defender to head it right back. That passage of play was repeated entirely too often. Isn’t the definition of insanity continuing to do the same thing but expecting different results?

It’s nice to see some more possession in NYC’s game plan, but the next step is to have that possession in the other teams half of the field.

Shay Facey

Cut him some slack.

He’s young and inexperienced, which doesn’t bode well for defenders. If Shelton, a rookie attacker, makes a mistake, he loses the ball in the opponents half and we’re slightly annoyed. If Facey makes a mistake he almost costs the team a penalty and gets sent off.

Although his defending was suspect at times Facey was the only defender consistently linking up well with midfielders. His ability to find those passing lanes into players like Velasquez and Mix is vitally important for a team that has such trouble doing so. Also, he made copious runs up the right flank to support the attack, but was almost never passed to. It’s possible that’s something he learned over in Manchester that his teammates here haven’t quite adapted to yet. The marauding full back is a staple of the european game.

Facey is a quality footballer. He’ll learn the defensive side of the game with time. Give him some more opportunities and NYC will reap the benefits of a skilled attacking wing back.

Power, Pace, & Finesse

Nemec played a quality match, his one highlight a fine touch to control and send a beautifully weighted pass to David Villa, who almost scored. Thus, it was a little annoying to see him subbed off early for Shelton, although Shelton did have a good match.

NYCFC have struggled this season to have a fluid attack. Kreis seems infatuated with Grabavoy, so we’ll not suggest pulling him off. But when we’re searching for goals it’s worth considering taking off Mix/Velasquez and having Nemec, Shelton, and Villa up top.

We haven’t seen them play together much and it makes sense that having all three would provide the missing link. Think about it: Nemec has great strength and aerial ability, Shelton is dangerously quick and has a few tricks, Villa has the tactical nous and a killer instinct. Together they all bring very different attributes which could link up for something wonderful. Yes, it is a far more attacking option but it’s certainly worth the risk, especially when you need a goal.

Power, pace, and finesse.

On To The Next One

At the end of the day an away draw isn’t the worst result, as everyone from NYCFC will be quick to point out.

The problem wasn’t really the result, it’s the fact that we could play so ineptly for such a long period of time. The second half was better, but any good play was reserved to small five minute patches.

It’s early days and at some level games like these are to be expected. But even the players out on the pitch could tell they were playing poorly. Today we spell redemption: Sporting KC.

On To The Next One.

Colorado Rapids vs NYCFC: Preview

NYCFC are getting ready for their third game of the season going on the road to take on the Colorado Rapids.

How To Watch

We would usually close with the “How To Watch” portion, but we’ve included it at the start because it seems unnecessarily difficult to actually watch this game.

Firstly, the MLS only shows a limited amount of games per weekend. NYCFC were lucky enough to have their first two ever matches televised nationally, but for this weekend’s game, the only TV provider will be the YES network.

NYCFC games on YES are only available to watch in the New York Metropolitan area. Yet, DISH network users in New York can’t watch, as DISH “does not currently have an agreement to transmit these channels.” 

So what to do if you’re a DISH user from New York? Watch online.

But wait! You can’t.

The FOX Sports GO website and app is only available for Cablevision and Time Warner Cable users.

So if you’re a DISH customer head to your local bar and hope they show MLS matches, because otherwise, to quote the great Guy Ritchie film Snatch, you’re “proper fucked.”

Form

It’s not a great time to be a Colorado Rapids fan. In fact, it hasn’t been a good time to be a Rapids fan since July 26th of 2014, which was the last time they won an MLS match.

That’s right. Colorado haven’t won a match for 15 consecutive games in the MLS. Their last match, away to the Philadelphia Union, was a dismal start to what Colorado fans were hoping would be a better season. The Rapids recorded a whooping zero shots on target and a measly two shots off target. Sergio Ramos gets more shots off target per game, and he’s a center back.

Point is, the future (and the recent past) looks dark for the Colorado Rapids. The last thing they need is Spain’s all time leading goal scorer knocking at their door.

NYCFC supporters, on the other hand, are in quite festive spirits. After some nerves in their first ever home and away matches, NYCFC have 4 points and sit at the top of the Eastern Conference.

Granted, they got very lucky to come out of the New England game two nil winners. The match wasn’t pretty, and if it weren’t for a certain 33-year-old bearded Spaniard the game may have been a lot different.

What this means, though, is that NYCFC are looking to improve. Maybe not just kick up to their 6’3 Slovakian and hope all goes well. Jason Kreis will want his team to start implementing some of his methods, and going up against a weak Colorado side seems the perfect time to start.

Lineups

Colorado (4-2-3-1): Urwin (GK), Harrington (RB), Riley (CB), Sjoberg (CB), Burch (LB), Pittinari (CDM), Sarvas (CDM), Sanchez (RM), Ramirez (LM), Torres (CAM), Badji (ST)

-Right back Riley will most likely play in the center, as starting center back Burling picked up a red card against Philly.

-Colorado may drop their starting striker Badji, as they search for someone who can get them some much needed goals.

-The only player to have a quality game against Philly was Sjoberg, the Swedish rookie center back out of Marquette. Standing at 6’7, he was impressive technically and possesses obvious aerial prowess. Look for him to man mark Nemec to nullify a focal point of NYCFC’s attack. Will be an interesting battle.

NYCFC (4-4-2): Saunders (GK), Williams (RB), Hernandez (CB), Wingert (CB), Brovsky (LB), Jacobson (CM), Diskerud (CM), Velasquez (RM),  Grabavoy (LM), Villa (ST), Nemec (ST)

-Don’t expect too many surprises from Kreis’s starting XI, yet he may opt for a more defensive minded player at right midfield, such as Ballouchy. We hope Shelton or Velazquez get the start though.

Final Thoughts

The initial hype is over. No more “First Ever Away Match” or “First Ever Home Match” headlines.

Now it’s time to get to business. The league is past opening weekend fanfare. NYCFC will have to play quality footie every week if they hope to keep the spotlight on themselves and challenge for the MLS Cup.

Let’s see what they can do.

A Concerned Cityzen

“A Concerned Cityzen” is a new segment in which a friend of NYCFootie, Christopher Dobens, discusses NYCFC and the world of football.  

Tinkering with the Team

Looking back on our first two games, as well as our pre-season performance, I’ve been wrestling with what can be done to fine-tune our team. New York City FC clearly has talent and potential, and earned four out of six possible points so far, but there’s plenty of room for improvement.

The Midfield Muddle

While a lot of people have turned their attention to our back line, I’m more concerned with our midfield. Yes, defenders Josh Williams, Chris Wingert, and even Jeb Brovsky have looked a bit confused when they had the ball. But I think the real problem is that they have so few options with the ball at their feet. They’re looking for an outlet, but no one is showing for them. So they end up passing it back to goalkeeper Josh Saunders, booting it upfield for a 50/50 ball, or trying to force a pass into the crowded midfield for what often results in a turnover.

After the New England game, I watched a recording of the Real Madrid match against Levante. Two very different teams, of course, but they were playing the same game. Madrid’s back four were able to move the ball laterally until Luca Modric or Isco found a gap in the Levante midfield. If they were quickly closed down, they either passed it back to the defender or squared it to another midfielder. If they had space and time, they would turn and attack.

Far too often NYC FC’s midfield has been static. The need to find space – or create it. And if they can’t find any space in the center, then they need to give their defenders an option out on the flanks.

Of course this requires some technical ability. You can’t have sloppy passes, sloppy traps, or take too long with the ball. And, frankly, our midfielders were doing all of that (as were our defenders as well), which led to turnover after turnover – especially when the sides were still even, before New England went down a man.

The one exception was Sebastian Velasquez. He kept the ball close, though he often held onto it for too long or tried to dribble through one too many opponents. We need quicker decisions, and quicker passing. And we also have to quit bunching-up like a U9 squad. All too often we were passing to someone so close that the opponent only needed to take a step from one player to the other. It’s a narrow field, but we should be using a lot more of it.

A Simple Solution

Fixing our midfield mire is simple in concept. Spread out. Find the pockets. If they’re not there, create some space. Move for the ball. Make tight traps and then good passes. No extra touches. Let the ball do the work. And knock it off with the footvolley; bring the ball down and control it. In a nutshell, be smart, not sloppy.

The challenge is in the execution. Even for a coach as respected as Jason Kreis, it won’t be easy to instill this kind of discipline in what has proven to be a surprisingly erratic and inconsistent midfield.

As I mentioned, Velasquez demonstrated his value behind the tandem strikers during his performance against New England. And Ned Grabavoy has certainly made some key contributions, including his role in the give-and-go on David Villa’s goal in that same game. But, despite Kreis’ confidence in the MLS veteran, I’m still not entirely convinced. The same could be said of Andrew Jacobson in the holding role. I’d be curious to know how many times he turned over the ball compared to how often he won it for NYC FC.

But the real question, and the toughest one for Kreis, has to be Mix Diskerud. He did net a golden goal against Orlando, the first in the franchise’s history, but he’s certainly struggled beyond that. For a man who is supposed to be our playmaker, he’s giving away far too many balls. I’m a big fan, but at times he’s looked genuinely lost out there.

I’ll also be the first to admit a bias towards Kwadwo Poku. What I like about the Ghanaian midfielder is that he’s strong. Like Adam Nemec, he isn’t easily muscled off the ball. More importantly, though, he has a habit of making those little power turns – like Alexis Sanchez – that can create enough space to get him out of trouble. Those two qualities, along with ample technical ability, make him one of our midfielders least likely to turn the ball over cheaply. And unlike Velasquez, who is the only other midfielder showing a similar gift for possession, he knows how to get rid of the ball before it’s too late. Plus, when Poku did get sufficient time in pre-season matches, his service was unparalleled.

If I had to make the call, I’d put Poku in with Mix – or maybe even for Mix. Pairing him with Velasquez in that advanced role. Though it would be hard to bench a star like Diskerud, even for Kreis. I’d also give Khiry Shelton the start at right midfield with Grabavoy on the left. Or maybe Connor Brandt out there instead of Grabavoy, since the rookie seems have a better appreciation of the importance of staying wide.

Don’t Scratch the Nemec

In addition to the aforementioned gripes about our back line, there’s also been plenty of grumbling about Nemec up top. I don’t want to sound condescending to people who think he’s a waste of space, but such an assertion really reveals a poor understanding of the game. The Slovakian international has actually been playing quite well. The problem is his finishing.

As a striker, you need to either find the pockets of space or create them for a teammate. Nemec has been doing both, very well. If you watch him play, he’s almost always there as an option, whether that be from a Brovsky cross, a Velasquez through ball, a Villa square pass, or even a long ball from Saunders. In fact, Nemec was the only workable option for Saunders on goal kicks. Villa wasn’t winning anything in the air, nor were our midfielders.

Did Nemec fail to convert his chances in this match? Yes, he did. Some were saved, others were brutally squandered. And the same can be said of his performance against Orlando. But Nemec is consistently there, finding those chances. And that’s more than I can say for New England’s Charlie Davies – and a lot of other strikers around the league.

So to dismiss the big Slovakian striker because he didn’t put the ball in the back of the net show’s a certain naiveté about the game. He did a lot more on that field than miss shots. And if he continues to miss them, then it will indeed become a problem – and eventual grounds for benching him. But writing the guy off after two matches in which he’s found chances but failed to convert is as short-sighted as writing off Chris Wondolowski for missing a few golden opportunities for the US National Team.

Remember, Nemec is new to the league and still finding his way. Give him time to adjust his sights and gain a little confidence. He’s finding space, he’s making runs, he’s creating opportunities – and that cannot be underestimated (just ask Jozy Altidore, or – better yet – anyone who has coached him).

Plus, Nemec has proven to be our only player capable of consistently winning those 50/50 long balls in the air. If he wasn’t on the field, our possession would have dropped dramatically.

Once Nemec does start finding the mark, given his physical strength and aerial ability, he will also start drawing defenders away from Villa. And that will make our attack all the more potent. Give the man some more time.

The Day After

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Today we begin our first edition of “The Day After”, a segment which will be posted after every NYCFC match, with some thoughts and observations.

The People and Their Children

After so many difficulties leading up to this day (Frank Lampard enjoying the bench at Man City, no soccer specific stadium announced, and a horrendous music video) it was impressive to see 43,507 people fill up Yankee Stadium for this match. What’s more, most people came to the game early, walking around the stadium and reveling in the excitement that was NYCFC’s first ever home match.

As far as demographics were concerned, it was encouraging to see so many children. If you watch a English Premier League or La Liga match, you see a plethora of young kids with their parents at the games. This is vitally important for NYC. Those of the pre-Guliani era will be the first to tell you that New York has become overrun with families that used to live in the suburbs. Truth is, New York has now become a safe and desirable place to raise a family. The children who put on a sky blue t-shirt and saw World Cup winner David Villa in the flesh will be the future of this club. Because after all the fanfare and the supporter clubs’ memberships and exclusive scarves, NYCFC will need to attract the youth. If yesterday is any example, we’re on the right track

Will People Show Up Again? And Again? And After That Time???

It was nice to see over 40,000 people for a footie match, yet the real question is: Who’s going to be there 3 months from now?

The first few matches were always likely to have large support. They were inaugural, they were special. But after the special games are over, and aside from the local rivalry games against The Team Who Must Not Be Named, it will be difficult to get people to come out every few weekends for MLS soccer.

NYCFC say they have sold over 15,000 season tickets, which is encouraging. Presumably, there will be at least 15,000 people at every home game, if everyone always shows up. The real question becomes the rest of the people. Yankee Stadium will have space for just over 27,000 people for normal, run-of-the-mill MLS matches. There is a big difference between a stadium with 15,000 and one with 20,0000 or 25,0000.

In order to keep getting those extra 10,000 fans, NYCFC has to play some good footie.

Let’s Talk About Some Footie

NYCFC did not play well.

Head coach Jason Kreis has told the media that NYCFC wouldn’t be playing its best footie for a while, as this is a brand new team which needs time to gel.

That said, the 2-0 headline was more than flattering towards the home team. After an energetic first 15 minutes, David Villa grabbed a well taken goal. Yet, after that, the rest of the first half was better off forgotten.

The midfield was non existent. Rumors spread that from the 20th minute until halftime, Mix Diskerud was getting his hair done at a local Bronx salon. The game plan seemed akin to what it was for opening day: Kick the ball up the field to 6’3 Slovakian powerhouse Adam Nemec and hope for the best.

Maybe Jason Kreis has tried to instill a more fluid, possession based style into his team, but it seems as if that will take quite some time to take effect. Granted, a large criticism of American footie is the focus on strength and fitness rather than skill and possession, which has been evident in the first two games of NYCFC’s season.

So, after what became a dismal first half, NYC was more than lucky to go into halftime winning the match. After 90 minutes, there were at least 4 clear cut chances that New England failed to score .

The second half was more encouraging, and ESPN reported that Kreis told his players to be more “aggressive”, which translates to, “try and actually play some soccer.” There were many nice interchanges between Mix, Villa, and Velazquez. But all too often the final pass was lacking. More worryingly, NYC often turned over possession in their own half. Against stronger opposition NYC will be made to rue those mistakes. It’s only the second game, though, and expect NYC to improve each week.

On To The Next One

NYCFC just beat the 2014 MLS Cup finalists 2-0 in front of 43,000 fans. NYC is now in first place in the Eastern Conference.

One Yankee Fan who had bought tickets to the game remarked: “We never get 40,000 people to come to our games, and we’ve won 27 World Series!”

NYCFC don’t have any championships, history, or Babe Ruth memorabilia. But we do have something special. To quote everyone’s favorite New York City person, Jay-Z, “On To The Next One.”