MLS - February 25 - Nashville (Away)

[ZYanksRule]

Road season opener against a MLS contender, this was always going to be a tough game. If it's Game 4 and we had started 1-1-1, I don't think anyone even thinks twice. Because it's the regular season opener, everyone's going to jump to unfair conclusions.

We were awful in the first half, but we had the majority of play in the second half. Unlucky to concede the 2nd goal after the Thiago pass deflected right to the league MVP. We obviously still need to add pieces - and we're going to. Hopefully Santi, Ledezma, and even more. We definitely need a striker. I don't want to jump to conclusions off one game, but Talles can't be the primary striker.

Really hope Ilenic can layer over Tayvon in the starting lineup; Tayvon is just an offensive chance killer. Haak isn't a starter, either, but if Morales was banged up, then it is what it is. Team looked very rusty and lackadaisical at times. We will definitely improve as the season goes on. We get Chicago and Miami the next two games -- a minimum of four points should be expected from those two games.

 

[adam]

The good: Apple TV broadcast

The bad: everything NYCFC

I'd need to plow through a few High Lifes at Robert's Western Wear (that's what I called it when I lived there) after that performance.

It is the champagne of beer

 

[413Blue]

Well, if this club has taught me anything over the last couple years, it's to not get too caught up on small sample sizes, because consistency has been the glaring weak spot for us.

 

[moogoo]

slow start just like every year. we're not in shape and it showed. pretty sloppy/rusty too, which i don't understand.

but the biggest thing for me was the lack of aggression/attitude. definitely let them bully us most of the game.

talles is not a #9 and the sooner they accept it, the better off the team will be.
Haak is not a starter in his current form.

ilenic looks great and look forward to him taking gray's starting spot.. which should be easy since gray is now injured.
otoole continuing his smart play and wish we could find him a spot even with cufre on the field.
cufre - needs more time to gel and would prefer he didn't start until he can get the time he needs.

onto chicago!

 

[JayH]

We suck. It’s a starting 11 who should lose to Nashville. We have at least 4 substitute quality players who started and no depth. It may change down the road, but the FO unnecessarily left us short handed.

 

[canchon]

Pelligrini didn’t look match fit. So glad they kept playing Carrizo at the #10 in preseason instead of the guy who’s actually going to play.
Talles is not a #9 and the sooner the team gets one, the better.
Keaton can’t carry 3 pianos in the midfield.

Got bullied by a physical, direct team. Some ball luck on their two goals: on the set piece, the clearance falls right to a Nashville player who puts it back in for Z to finish. On the counter, the ball is deflected to Hany who is off to the races. Plus that play blown dead when we had 3 going the other way. Meh.

Team looks incomplete and not ready yet, to be expected. Get Santi in here ASAP. Hopefully we get to see Ilenic if Gray is out.

 

[mgarbowski]

What was wrong with Morales?

 

[Gene]

Saw somewhere he got a slight knock in training.

 

[KevinJRogers]

We didn't get a result today, but I thought we saw some good things, especially in the second half. (Let's pretend the first half never happened.)

• Huicho Barraza was really good, played with a lot of confidence. Very encouraging.
• Braian Cufré is clearly a quality player and was downright dangerous at times in the second half. He'll improve very rapidly.
• Ilenič showed a lot of vision in just a few minutes, also made one stellar tackle. Should be the starting right back.
• Keaton is healthy again, able to go a full 90. Just needs a better dance partner than Haak (Fredo or O'Toole, depending).
• Thiago is no striker (yet), but we're much better with him at center-forward and Talles Magno and Gabi on the wings.
• Pellegrini went from looking for a clue in the first 45 minutes to looking to do some damage in the second. Competitor.

And we picked ourselves up after getting flat-out steamrolled in the first half and turned the match around. For a team in such a massive transition, that's a really hopeful sign. A little more quality in the final third, a little more physicality, a little more ball integrity and we could have maybe grabbed a point today.

 

[canchon]

Pretty much. Nashville had 3 big chances and scored on two of them. NYCFC did dominate the second half but not enough quality from all that ball control.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1629662635875610624

 

[ZYanksRule]

Team looks incomplete and not ready yet, to be expected. Get Santi in here ASAP. Hopefully we get to see Ilenic if Gray is out.

This is the thing that has me the most optimistic -- this front office and ownership group has always given us a representative product. We have the best record in MLS over the last seven seasons. There is absolutely no reason to believe they won't give us a good team this year. If we realize the team is incomplete, they see it too. Cushing can be as optimistic as he wants, behind closed doors he knows it. David Lee knows it. CFG knows it.

The window is open for what, three more months? There's probably 5 players we need to bring in -- and three or four of them need to be of starting quality. We absolutely have a ton of cap space after all the departures. They're going to use it for something. Cufre looks like a player. Ilenic looks like a player. If Santi comes back, we know how good he is. We need a starting striker, a starting quality CB, some depth on the wing, and some depth in the midfield. I have to imagine we're planning more signings. In this league, with this playoff format, the first 15 games of the year don't really matter. As long as we keep our heads above water, we'll be fine.

 

[KevinJRogers]

In this league, with this playoff format, the first 15 games of the year don't really matter. As long as we keep our heads above water, we'll be fine.

Right. And by the end of those 15 games, it may turn out we don't need as much as we thought. Maybe just a good, young quality striker.

 

[ZYanksRule]

Right. And by the end of those 15 games, it may turn out we don't need as much as we thought. Maybe just a good, young quality striker.

We already have Santi coming back, and it's quite possible we'll have Sands back this summer, too. Maybe Ledezma if that gets over the finish line. Those additions would pretty much fill all the holes aside from striker.

My bet is that if Sands comes back from Rangers, we immediately send him somewhere else in Europe. But if we don't, bringing him back solves a lot of issues. Gives us depth in central midfield and central defense. Santi fills that No. 10 spot, Ledezma either the 10 or box-to-box. It looks like we'll be OK at fullback, and I'd like to add some depth on the wings; although signing a striker would also give us that winger depth by moving Talles over.

 

[KevinJRogers]

We already have Santi coming back, and it's quite possible we'll have Sands back this summer, too. Maybe Ledezma if that gets over the finish line. Those additions would pretty much fill all the holes aside from striker.

My bet is that if Sands comes back from Rangers, we immediately send him somewhere else in Europe. But if we don't, bringing him back solves a lot of issues. Gives us depth in central midfield and central defense. Santi fills that No. 10 spot, Ledezma either the 10 or box-to-box. It looks like we'll be OK at fullback, and I'd like to add some depth on the wings; although signing a striker would also give us that winger depth by moving Talles over.

I'm down with most of that, especially Talles Magno on the wing. Once he's back where he belongs a lot of other things fall into place even without any major additions.

But of course, we need that striker.

My guess is we're holding off until the European seasons end so we can find someone who's going to be around for a while. Someone in their early 20s, past the young prospect point but still young enough to sell on should they reach another level with us, probably stuck behind a veteran in a secondary league somewhere. Someone like Gabe Segal, but a little more polished and complete.

Speaking of Segal, I was surprised at how physically strong he looked in camp. He's listed at 5'10" 161 lbs., but he's a rock-solid 185 for sure. Kid's been driving some iron.

 

[ZYanksRule]

I'm down with most of that, especially Talles Magno on the wing. Once he's back where he belongs a lot of other things fall into place even without any major additions.

But of course, we need that striker.

My guess is we're holding off until the European seasons end so we can find someone who's going to be around for a while. Someone in their early 20s, past the young prospect point but still young enough to sell on should they reach another level with us, probably stuck behind a veteran in a secondary league somewhere. Someone like Gabe Segal, but a little more polished and complete.

Speaking of Segal, I was surprised at how physically strong he looked in camp. He's listed at 5'10" 161 lbs., but he's a rock-solid 185 for sure. Kid's been driving some iron.

Which is honestly probably a smart plan. We have a DP spot open (Martins and Talles are our only DPs right now), so we can absolutely make a splash and sign a big player. Maybe not a big name, but as you said a young hungry talismanic player.

It would not surprise me in the least if we had a Seattle 2016 season. They were middling in table until summer, signed Nico Lodeiro, launched themselves up the table and all the way to MLS Cup. That season, Seattle started the year 6-12-3, signed Lodeiro, and after his debut they went 8-2-3 the rest of the way then won MLS Cup.

I'm not saying I expect us to go to MLS Cup after improving the roster, but I do think we're that close to being a contender.

 

[Revfugee]

Said it in the chat and I will say it here. They should experiment at least in training or with NYCFC II with O’Toole at striker. He has demonstrated that he can hang in MLS, his traditional position is in attack, he has an advanced soccer IQ, and there is precedent for making strikers out of this type: viz Taty and Dempsey (so much resemblance to Dempseys early Right back days). He’s a hell of a lot more proven than Segal, it would open up minutes for Cufre and they would save a ton of GAM if it worked.

 

[Sabo]

2023 NYCFC can be a good tournament team and win trophies. This is a rebuilding year and the Supporters Shield is not going to happen. In MLS success is measured by tournauments (Open Cup, Leagues Cup, MLS Cup). This will be a stronger team by the time we get to Leagues and MLS Cups and by the later rounds of Open Cup.

First half was really awful. Second half more good than not (probably 30 good 15 not)

The good:

Barrazza played a good game in goal. I assume we paid $750K for Freese because he can play. Based on this game I am way more comfortable with our goallie situation.

Martina/Chenot = excellent.

Ciufre= rough start. Looks like he can play. Same for Ilicic (havent seen anyone else say this, but it looked to me like Tayvon got hurt on the play they scored their second and couldnt defend the play leaving them wide open for shot/goal.

Ilenic looked good in limited minutes.

Haak is better than he was last year.

We will have a much stronger 11 when Santi is back

Cushing made excellent adjustments at half time that let us compete

Talles and Gaby have made magic happen in past games and can make ir happen again in future games.

 

[moogoo]

2023 NYCFC can be a good tournament team and win trophies. This is a rebuilding year and the Supporters Shield is not going to happen. In MLS success is measured by tournauments (Open Cup, Leagues Cup, MLS Cup). This will be a stronger team by the time we get to Leagues and MLS Cups and by the later rounds of Open Cup.

First half was really awful. Second half more good than not (probably 30 good 15 not)

The good:

Barrazza played a good game in goal. I assume we paid $750K for Freese because he can play. Based on this game I am way more comfortable with our goallie situation.

Martina/Chenot = excellent.

Ciufre= rough start. Looks like he can play. Same for Ilicic (havent seen anyone else say this, but it looked to me like Tayvon got hurt on the play they scored their second and couldnt defend the play leaving them wide open for shot/goal.

Ilenic looked good in limited minutes.

Haak is better than he was last year.

We will have a much stronger 11 when Santi is back

Cushing made excellent adjustments at half time that let us compete

Talles and Gaby have made magic happen in past games and can make ir happen again in future games.

i like your positivity punch. pour me a cup please.

all that said. i am happy to be looking forward to games again. wasn't the happiest with how we performed, but also not doom and gloom either. we need some players (something we knew) but most of all, i think we just need to knock the rust off and get physically in shape. i'm disappointed that yet again, preseason was not enough to complete these two tasks but it is what it is. i don't expect us to look like the team we can be until game 4 or 5.

 

[moogoo]

What was wrong with Morales?

 

[Gotham Gator]

Splitting time zones between Georgia and Alabama is less surprising when you realize Savannah is on the ocean but west of Pittsburgh.

And Florida is due south of Ohio.