They should have made the NYCFC logo a little smaller.
That, and maybe moved it around to the back.
MLS - August 17 - Nashville (YS)
- Thread starter LionNYC
- Start date
They should have made the NYCFC logo a little smaller.
That, and maybe moved it around to the back.
my assumption is that he made trip down from New England since LAFC played them on saturday. Perhaps Sunday was a day off so he made the trip? kinda cool he still likes the team enough that he visits.
In fairness, he’s deserved much of the criticism; he’s been poor for nearly two years. But even during his struggles, the general consensus on Ojeda has been that he looks like the most complete player of the group. The talent has always been there; the issues seemed more about slow decision-making and a lack of confidence. As you said, it’s still early, but hopefully his recent form gives him the confidence boost he needs to finally turn the corner.
I was pretty critical of O’Neill at the start. Frankly, the whole team looked terrible early on, and the midfield was getting carved apart by Nashville. But credit where it’s due: O’Neill turned it around, grew into the game, and was excellent, especially after the rain break.
Shoutout to Perea as well. He’s the definition of a Swiss Army knife. He scored with the composure of a seasoned striker while still grinding in the midfield like a true box-to-box CM. Last game, in that short stretch between sub windows, he even played CB. Last season, he occasionally popped up as a high-press ST late in games. Over his time here, he’s played CB, ST, CAM, LW, LWB, CDM, and CM. His versatility is unreal.
Even though I'm not much interested in baseball any more, I was a bit intrigued as to what this would look like.What a uncreative disappointment this is.
I was thinking we'd get a mashed up logo, maybe with the letter style of the Yankee interlocking NY but adding a C with the circle around it saying New York City Yankee Club or whatever. Instead someone said "take a Yankee cap, slap a NYCFC logo on the side and mark up the price."
this is the exact same design from a hat you could get with "points" like 8 years ago.
For those who were at the game, how did Maxi look? On the broadcast, he seemed less involved, but he’s tough to track on TV since so much of his impact comes off the ball. Do you think the heavy minutes this season are starting to catch up with him?
Maxi looked really good. Still has that great decision making and toughness. How a guy that small can shield the ball so effectively is a mystery.
That said, he's lost a fair amount of pace and gets beaten to balls and spots on the field a lot more than he used to. That was also in evidence last night.
That's great. Where was he hanging out?
From what I saw, Nashville tried to pounce on Maxi anytime he had the ball. Maxi still was able to weasel out of those positions and make near impossible passes. I remember at least 2 in the first half near the team bench with Alonso. Having Nico and Alonso really helps Maxi’s game to expand the defense from marking him out of the game.
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I would venture that Maxi was actually more involved once Pascal adjusted the formation. After Nashville ran rampant early, he pushed Maxi back and he orchestrated from the back (Pirloesque?) more than at the start of the game.
He definitely needs rest, however.
A lot of credit goes to Pascal for the tactical shift, but Nico was also a huge asset in breaking the parked bus. Several times, he received the ball just past midfield and, with a quick touch or burst of pace, blew past the first defender closing him down. That forced Nashville to adjust defensively to contain him, something we haven’t had a player capable of doing this easily in a long time.
Edit: Confident Ojeda can beat people with ease as well, if he guy can keep it going, and we have two guys capable of causing the defense to shift, our days of being stifled by a parked bus will be over.
I saw him in front of the Bobby Flay stand on the main level. Unfortunately, I saw him after I had a burger and a beer in my hands, so I had to keep it moving. I really wanted to shake his hand and tell him how much I missed seeing him and Alex Callens.
As good a place as any for this, am I alone in being underwhelmed by O'Neill? In general, not specific to this match, this has been percolating for a while. I love a good d-mid, but I often don't even realize he's on the field for long stretches.
It may be a bit of a roster rules issue. If he were Kevin O'Toole I'd have fewer complaints, but I want more from an international spot and (presumably) TAM.
I also don't necessarily have a better alternative available on the roster. Parks is hurt. I rate Perea higher, but he was out for a long time and I don't think his form has fully returned to peak. I'd probably prefer Haak, but he's been forced to the backline.
Feel free to tell me I'm just biased against Australian internationals.
As good a place as any for this, am I alone in being underwhelmed by O'Neill? In general, not specific to this match, this has been percolating for a while. I love a good d-mid, but I often don't even realize he's on the field for long stretches.
It may be a bit of a roster rules issue. If he were Kevin O'Toole I'd have fewer complaints, but I want more from an international spot and (presumably) TAM.
I also don't necessarily have a better alternative available on the roster. Parks is hurt. I rate Perea higher, but he was out for a long time and I don't think his form has fully returned to peak. I'd probably prefer Haak, but he's been forced to the backline.
Feel free to tell me I'm just biased against Australian internationals.
I think O’Neill had his best game for us against Nashville, but overall, he’s been a bit disappointing. My main issue is his inconsistency—he disappears for stretches, and his defensive impact comes and goes. Given his age and experience, I expected him to be a steadier presence. I also expected him to be more defensive-minded, similar to Sands, Ring, or Alfredo Morales. Instead, he plays more like Parks or Perea, which leaves us with a midfield full of players who lean more offensive than defensive. Maybe that’s what Pascal wants, but it feels like a gap when we need someone to help close out games.
That said, players we sign midseason after long European campaigns often look better the following year once they’ve had a full camp and offseason to rest. So I’m holding off on a final judgment. The bigger question might be: is O’Neill underperforming, or is this just another case of why starting the season with an unfinished roster and filling it out on the fly rarely works?
I need to rewatch the game. I thought O'Neil was dropping back as a CB during the game while Gray was pushing up most of the game to improve the backline. It must have been KOT.
O’Neill did drop into that spot between the center backs a number of times. I always notice it because whenever a player does that, I think, “he’s doing the James Sands thing.” To clarify, I see O’Neill as positionally versatile; he’s willing to take on any role in the central pivot that Pascal asks of him. That said, when he’s in the more defensive role, he doesn’t offer the same level of defensive quality we’ve come to expect from players like Sands or Ring. On the flip side, O’Neill is a stronger passer and more comfortable on the ball than most traditional defensive midfielders. Since Pascal values versatility, maybe that’s a tradeoff he’s willing to make.
