MLS - July 1 - Montreal (Away)
- Thread starter LionNYC
- Start date
Wow:
1. Pellegrini golazo
2. Holding MTL to .3 xG at home
1. Pellegrini golazo
2. Holding MTL to .3 xG at home
Sooo.
On reflection…
This team has been operating on razor thin margins all season. IMHO we didn’t look a lot better or worse last night than we have looked all season, with the exception that we did a much better job getting into the box tonight than we have during our unbeaten streak. We still only finished one of those chances.
My point is that this team is closer to success than most people seem to be willing to credit them for. Watching 360 during the delay it became more apparent than ever to me that this club generally plays a more measured, attractive (there was an exchange up the left at 47’ that no other MLS squad would even attempt) and controlled game than most of the league, even without really ANY marquee talent (check the All-Star roster).
The frustrating thing is that the answer is more goals, and we need someone who puts away more of the chances we created last night. We need a striker. Not a difficult analysis but no less true for its obviousness.
Anyway:
Pel: best match in an NYCFC Jersey. What a finish! Hope this breaks a seal for him. No argument with subbing him out since he was on a yellow, but he is starting to assert himself.
Haak is starting to look like a real MLS quality defender. Not only was his positioning excellent all night, he was confident on the ball. He and Chanot looked very comfortable together.
Cufre. He has dimed up sitter crosses in each of the last three matches. Finally someone finished one. Actually, two. I would love to see the offside line graphic on the Santi goal that got called back. He was behind the defenders but looked even with the ball.
Santi and Keaton. Did a great job controlling thing and dictating the pace.
My only points of real concern were Barraza and the subs up top. Barraza made the save of the match, but he was out of position on Rea’s near miss, and he was a combination of awkward and indecisive on crosses. He needs to own balls in his neighborhood. That bumbling punch-bat-whatever on a corner in the first half was just ugly and mercifully the ball was called out.
Richie and Gabe both set up MTL with perfect turnovers in our end, and Richie’s thirsty drive to score in the final minutes made me queasy as it set up a perfect counter for MTL (which they squandered). Maybe the only time in the last 10 matches when I didn’t want them to shoot quicker.
All in all a very satisfying match . Good effort and a just result.
On reflection…
This team has been operating on razor thin margins all season. IMHO we didn’t look a lot better or worse last night than we have looked all season, with the exception that we did a much better job getting into the box tonight than we have during our unbeaten streak. We still only finished one of those chances.
My point is that this team is closer to success than most people seem to be willing to credit them for. Watching 360 during the delay it became more apparent than ever to me that this club generally plays a more measured, attractive (there was an exchange up the left at 47’ that no other MLS squad would even attempt) and controlled game than most of the league, even without really ANY marquee talent (check the All-Star roster).
The frustrating thing is that the answer is more goals, and we need someone who puts away more of the chances we created last night. We need a striker. Not a difficult analysis but no less true for its obviousness.
Anyway:
Pel: best match in an NYCFC Jersey. What a finish! Hope this breaks a seal for him. No argument with subbing him out since he was on a yellow, but he is starting to assert himself.
Haak is starting to look like a real MLS quality defender. Not only was his positioning excellent all night, he was confident on the ball. He and Chanot looked very comfortable together.
Cufre. He has dimed up sitter crosses in each of the last three matches. Finally someone finished one. Actually, two. I would love to see the offside line graphic on the Santi goal that got called back. He was behind the defenders but looked even with the ball.
Santi and Keaton. Did a great job controlling thing and dictating the pace.
My only points of real concern were Barraza and the subs up top. Barraza made the save of the match, but he was out of position on Rea’s near miss, and he was a combination of awkward and indecisive on crosses. He needs to own balls in his neighborhood. That bumbling punch-bat-whatever on a corner in the first half was just ugly and mercifully the ball was called out.
Richie and Gabe both set up MTL with perfect turnovers in our end, and Richie’s thirsty drive to score in the final minutes made me queasy as it set up a perfect counter for MTL (which they squandered). Maybe the only time in the last 10 matches when I didn’t want them to shoot quicker.
All in all a very satisfying match . Good effort and a just result.
It could be quite a week if we win, then win again, then get some early window upgrades.
If there is anything I've grown accustomed to with this club, it' sudden and dramatic reversals of fortune.
Winning is so much better than the alternatives, but nothing that happened last night makes me think this team is better than its record or about to turn a corner (apart from possible transfers in).
The team Goals per game went down.
The team xG per game went down.
The average shots taken per game went down.*
More than half of the xG for the game came in the span of 8 seconds. In the remaining 89.52 NYCFC had a combined xG of <0.4.
There are 4 possible results when neither team manages to score 2 or more goals: 1-0, 0-1, 1-1, and 0-0. This was the 13th such game (out of 21) this year for NYCFC and only its second win. Chance plays a higher role in such games because margins are so tight. NYC has maybe been a little unlucky in those games, and caught a break for the first time since March 11 against Miami.
NYCFC itself has scored 2 or more goals in a game just 6 times all year which is less than 30%. Until that number goes up a lot, it will just be more of the same.
* The averages for defensive stats improved, but defense is not this team's problem. 2023 NYCFC ranks 5th in goals allowed per game out of 9 NYCFC teams. It ranks 9th in goals scored, by a shocking amount. 2023 NYCFC trails the average of the other 8 seasons by 0.66 goals per game. It trails the next worst season by 0.41. It trails the other teams' average xG per game by 0.59. This is such a bad offensive team by NYCFC standards.
The team Goals per game went down.
The team xG per game went down.
The average shots taken per game went down.*
More than half of the xG for the game came in the span of 8 seconds. In the remaining 89.52 NYCFC had a combined xG of <0.4.
There are 4 possible results when neither team manages to score 2 or more goals: 1-0, 0-1, 1-1, and 0-0. This was the 13th such game (out of 21) this year for NYCFC and only its second win. Chance plays a higher role in such games because margins are so tight. NYC has maybe been a little unlucky in those games, and caught a break for the first time since March 11 against Miami.
NYCFC itself has scored 2 or more goals in a game just 6 times all year which is less than 30%. Until that number goes up a lot, it will just be more of the same.
* The averages for defensive stats improved, but defense is not this team's problem. 2023 NYCFC ranks 5th in goals allowed per game out of 9 NYCFC teams. It ranks 9th in goals scored, by a shocking amount. 2023 NYCFC trails the average of the other 8 seasons by 0.66 goals per game. It trails the next worst season by 0.41. It trails the other teams' average xG per game by 0.59. This is such a bad offensive team by NYCFC standards.
Ok I lied. One complaint.
I noticed that when we get the ball on the wing, we are often just flat across the front with no movement. This happened a lot and when it did, we would just pass back.
I'm glad that we had numbers in attack but flat and static didn't make it better. But this is an easy thing to work on.
Agree with what others have said. No we didn't particularly play so much better last night but we had grit and played hard in a place that's hard to win. I give them credit for that. Getting a win can be a huge weight off and as good a feeling it is for us, it's 10 times better for them. Maybe it's a spark we need to play with even more energy and bring back some of our mojo. Especially with some new players coming.
I noticed that when we get the ball on the wing, we are often just flat across the front with no movement. This happened a lot and when it did, we would just pass back.
I'm glad that we had numbers in attack but flat and static didn't make it better. But this is an easy thing to work on.
Agree with what others have said. No we didn't particularly play so much better last night but we had grit and played hard in a place that's hard to win. I give them credit for that. Getting a win can be a huge weight off and as good a feeling it is for us, it's 10 times better for them. Maybe it's a spark we need to play with even more energy and bring back some of our mojo. Especially with some new players coming.
I agree with this. When your coach is telling players week after week that the team can do it and they're better than the results, after a run like the one we just had you could start to not believe what the coach is saying, even if it's true. But after getting a tough win like that I fully expect a coach can inspire belief with a lot of "I <told> you all we could do it!" sorts of speeches. Not saying one win means we're on our way to the Cup of course but sometimes you just need one thing to go your way, ya know?
It's been more than 40 years since that song was stuck in my head for several days.
Damn you.
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