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.