MLS - September 18 - Philadelphia (Home - YS)

[canchon]

NYCFC has won one out of its last 13 games (and that was against a Liga MX teams). It is winless in its last 11 games against MLS opponents.

Cushing went through a stretch where he won one out of 17 games last year and now one for 13 (and counting - with Miami, RB, Cincy on the docket that could easily grow to 16).

How the hell can Cushing basically go half a season two years in a row with not winning and keep his job? The players looked absolutely unprepared to play tonight. I can’t believe that the players are this bad.

 

[ZYanksRule]

There's no use really analyzing this game. We got caught looking ahead to Saturday, and were not ready to compete tonight. That falls on the coaching staff. I really hope Nick didn't try to claim that we carried the game and had lots of chances. That was a team that wasn't ready to compete.

Tayvon just being lazy and out of position all first half. Martins with the unusual flub, Freese with the unusual flub, Ilenic getting bodied off the player making the run on the 4th goal, Parks having a complete howler ... these guys were not ready to compete tonight.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that's the most goals allowed at home since 2016. Completely not ready to compete.

 

[ZYanksRule]

NYCFC has won one out of its last 13 games (and that was against a Liga MX teams). It is winless in its last 11 games against MLS opponents.

Cushing went through a stretch where he won one out of 17 games last year and now one for 13 (and counting - with Miami, RB, Cincy on the docket that could easily grow to 16).

How the hell can Cushing basically go half a season two years in a row with not winning and keep his job? The players looked absolutely unprepared to play tonight. I can’t believe that the players are this bad.

You're right. They got caught looking ahead to Miami. Nick did not have them ready to compete tonight.

I continue to ask this question: If this is a developmental roster, too few players are developing under Nick Cushing. If he's not a developmental coach, why is he here?

 

[moogoo]

You're right. They got caught looking ahead to Miami. Nick did not have them ready to compete tonight.

I continue to ask this question: If this is a developmental roster, too few players are developing under Nick Cushing. If he's not a developmental coach, why is he here?

add to the development angle... if it is a development roster, why aren't the players meant to develop not playing?

we are basically relying on the same guys we've had. none of the new signings except for wolf and martinez are getting a look.

my analysis from the last match still stands. martinez needs to be flanked by two REAL wingers.. actual threats on the wings who can take players on 1v1 or at least beat them on pace or something. wolf and santi are not real wingers and we suffer for it. we looked better with ojeda on the wing tonight but philly attacked our left side all first half because our only true attacker on the right is gray and in doing so, he's leaving a huge space open.

all in all, it was a bad night all around. but cushing and lee definitely don't get a gimme. this team wasn't ready to play tonight. the level of effort wasn't there either. they were being lazy and sloppy from the opening whistle.

 

[Shwafta]

Either I’ve matured or I’ve just gotten used to the malaise of the play. I’m no longer mad or upset when we are scored upon and not excited or cheerful when we score. I just know the inevitable of the yearly result of this club and I know we’re stuck and nothing is being done about it.

I've felt the same for a few years now. Not sure what it is, tbh.

 

[ZYanksRule]

I've felt the same for a few years now. Not sure what it is, tbh.

I do think it's a bit silly. Yes 2023 was terrible, yes 2024 has been below expectations. But 2021 we won MLS Cup, and 2022 we went to the conference final.

Calling this the "inevitable yearly result of this club" is horribly pejorative for a club that, generally, has had very good seasons for the majority of its time in MLS.

 

[Shwafta]

Our record vs Philadelphia since we beat them in that playoff match, btw:


yikes.

 

[Shwafta]

I do think it's a bit silly. Yes 2023 was terrible, yes 2024 has been below expectations. But 2021 we won MLS Cup, and 2022 we went to the conference final.

Calling this the "inevitable yearly result of this club" is horribly pejorative for a club that, generally, has had very good seasons for the majority of its time in MLS.

Oh. I wasn't talking about that part, I was specifically talking about the first half of the quote. "I’m no longer mad or upset when we are scored upon and not excited or cheerful when we score." I should have specified, sry.

 

[moogoo]

kinda surprised they actually shared it. took martinez off because he was "fading". he sure didn't look like he was fading. he has yet to play a full 90 this year, has he?

Press Conference - Nick Cushing | New York City FC 1-5 Philadelphia Union | New York City FC

All the latest news, scores, highlights, photos, and stats from New York City Football Club.

www.newyorkcityfc.com

in the end, we defeated ourselves, i think. mistakes and not finishing. not much else to it.

 

[mgarbowski]

Not ready to compete? Looking ahead? Low level of effort? That's not what I saw.

Maybe sort of on defense, but we've actually been worse and mostly this was Freese having a career worst game. On offense we took 26 shots which is a season high and put up the second highest xG. You can't get off 26 shots without serious effort. And they were not just some perfunctory long range attempts where you shoot so you don't have to work to get closer to goal. We had 18 shots from inside the box. 18. Sometimes I think we don't get 18 touches in the box during a game. We had 9 corners. Our season average is 3.8. The 9 shots on target matched the season high that was set in March. NYC worked hard, but literally just super sucked at putting the ball in Philly's net and keeping it out of ours.

I mean, yes, the team is a mess. I'm ready to can Lee, Cushing, and maybe all but 8-9 players. Tonight was an embarrassment. But it was not from lack of effort. If the team worked this hard on offense and got even 75% of this many shots, shots on target and corners consistently it would have 3-5 more wins. This was more like the yips or something. It was freaky.

 

[ZYanksRule]

Not ready to compete? Looking ahead? Low level of effort? That's not what I saw.

Maybe sort of on defense, but we've actually been worse and mostly this was Freese having a career worst game. On offense we took 26 shots which is a season high and put up the second highest xG. You can't get off 26 shots without serious effort. And they were not just some perfunctory long range attempts where you shoot so you don't have to work to get closer to goal. We had 18 shots from inside the box. 18. Sometimes I think we don't get 18 touches in the box during a game. We had 9 corners. Our season average is 3.7. The 9 shots on target matched the season high that was set in March. NYC worked hard, but literally just super sucked at putting the ball in Philly's net and keeping it out of ours.

I mean, yes, the team is a mess. I'm ready to can Lee, Cushing, and maybe all but 8-9 players. Tonight was an embarrassment. But it was not from lack of effort. If the team worked this hard on offense and got even 75% of this many shots, shots on target and corners consistently it would have 3-5 more wins. This was more like the yips or something. It was freaky.

Cushing actually agreed that the team didn't play with enough urgency tonight. I think we had our offensive chances, but I also think mental mistakes are a sign of a team that isn't ready to compete. Playing on the attacking foot is the easy part; it's the part everyone wants to do. Playing defense is the part that takes competitiveness and effort.

I will say that we were better in the 2nd half, but the game was already gone at that point. I thought the substitutions at halftime were a message from Cushing that the effort and compete levels weren't high enough.

 

[Antidote P. Smiley]

Our record vs Philadelphia since we beat them in that playoff match, btw:
View attachment 13516

yikes.

Should be Curtains for Cushing…

 

[ZYanksRule]

Should be Curtains for Cushing…

I think it's too late in the season to make that move. There's 5 games left in the regular season. Just let it play out. If Cushing surprises us and gets us deep into the playoffs, he stays. But if this team loses in the first round of the playoffs after underperforming for the majority of the season, then I think he should go.

Honestly, he should have been gone after last season. So I'm not optimistic he will be fired, but he will not deserve to stay if we're a first-round knockout.

 

[413Blue]

The only hope is that we pull one of our random streaks. Unfortunately, that may save Cushing's job, which makes me actually want to see us crash and burn.

He's got to go

 

[LionNYC]

Even if Lee and Cushing are fired, we’re still stuck with this imperfectly built roster of too many hopes than knowns.

 

[FootyLovin]

Not yet mentioned: looking forward to our stadium. That Martinez sitter in front of goal that got ruined by a bad hop off the infield grass. Yeesh. If it had happened to the other team we'd hear about it for years.

 

[SoupInNYC]

I'm both surprised and not surprised at the Keaton hate from this match. He seemed like the one who was truly creating offense with runs into the box (need more of this from him in other matches - good things happen) and progressive passing. Unless I'm missing something, I think the hate is from 4 points in the game:

• The first shot he had that was saved by the keeper. I thought this was a great shot. With the cross coming in from the angle it did, there's very little chance to direct it exactly where you want and he put it down hard and forced the keeper to make an incredible save with his hand. When a keeper has to leave his feet to make a save with his hand, but close enough it's not a full dive, that's an incredible save. Maybe this is semantics, but I've seen comments on "missing a sitter" - to me, missing a sitter is not hitting the target.
• The second shot he had that went off the post. Yeah, probably should have scored that one. But it was a fairly well-placed shot with his off foot, and one that he created by the run from deep in the midfield. Nobody else is creating that chance.
• The whiff in the box? Sure, though with the way the ball bounced up, that is so tough to connect on. Parks being so tall makes it look even more awkward.
• The fifth goal allowed. Yes, this one is completely on Parks. Bad turnover in the midfield and then doesn't track the runner back into the box. Maybe the lack of effort here was more the time in the game and being down 4-1? I don't know, that still shouldn't excuse it.

 

[moogoo]

I'm both surprised and not surprised at the Keaton hate from this match. He seemed like the one who was truly creating offense with runs into the box (need more of this from him in other matches - good things happen) and progressive passing. Unless I'm missing something, I think the hate is from 4 points in the game:

• The first shot he had that was saved by the keeper. I thought this was a great shot. With the cross coming in from the angle it did, there's very little chance to direct it exactly where you want and he put it down hard and forced the keeper to make an incredible save with his hand. When a keeper has to leave his feet to make a save with his hand, but close enough it's not a full dive, that's an incredible save. Maybe this is semantics, but I've seen comments on "missing a sitter" - to me, missing a sitter is not hitting the target.
• The second shot he had that went off the post. Yeah, probably should have scored that one. But it was a fairly well-placed shot with his off foot, and one that he created by the run from deep in the midfield. Nobody else is creating that chance.
• The whiff in the box? Sure, though with the way the ball bounced up, that is so tough to connect on. Parks being so tall makes it look even more awkward.
• The fifth goal allowed. Yes, this one is completely on Parks. Bad turnover in the midfield and then doesn't track the runner back into the box. Maybe the lack of effort here was more the time in the game and being down 4-1? I don't know, that still shouldn't excuse it.

I think I'm in the same boat. I didn't think Parks had a stinker as much as others. Sure, he should have scored, at least once for sure, but as you pointed out, he was very progressive and made a lot of runs into the box causing trouble. He did have a few passing flubs but I don't recall thinking he was giving the ball away too much.

No one had a good game yesterday. I think Parks was one of our better players.

 

[gbservis]

I'm both surprised and not surprised at the Keaton hate from this match. He seemed like the one who was truly creating offense with runs into the box (need more of this from him in other matches - good things happen) and progressive passing. Unless I'm missing something, I think the hate is from 4 points in the game:

• The first shot he had that was saved by the keeper. I thought this was a great shot. With the cross coming in from the angle it did, there's very little chance to direct it exactly where you want and he put it down hard and forced the keeper to make an incredible save with his hand. When a keeper has to leave his feet to make a save with his hand, but close enough it's not a full dive, that's an incredible save. Maybe this is semantics, but I've seen comments on "missing a sitter" - to me, missing a sitter is not hitting the target.
• The second shot he had that went off the post. Yeah, probably should have scored that one. But it was a fairly well-placed shot with his off foot, and one that he created by the run from deep in the midfield. Nobody else is creating that chance.
• The whiff in the box? Sure, though with the way the ball bounced up, that is so tough to connect on. Parks being so tall makes it look even more awkward.
• The fifth goal allowed. Yes, this one is completely on Parks. Bad turnover in the midfield and then doesn't track the runner back into the box. Maybe the lack of effort here was more the time in the game and being down 4-1? I don't know, that still shouldn't excuse it.

I agree, everyone remembers Park hitting the post but the movement to get to that shot was exceptional and exactly what we need out of him. His play fell off hard after he hit the post on that shot, I think it shook him. As your list shows most of the bad moments came after the post hit and people locked on to a few bad min at the end of the match and forgot all the good before it.

 

[canchon]

kinda surprised they actually shared it. took martinez off because he was "fading". he sure didn't look like he was fading. he has yet to play a full 90 this year, has he?

Press Conference - Nick Cushing | New York City FC 1-5 Philadelphia Union | New York City FC

All the latest news, scores, highlights, photos, and stats from New York City Football Club.

www.newyorkcityfc.com

in the end, we defeated ourselves, i think. mistakes and not finishing. not much else to it.

Apparently (credit to city boys podcast ) Cushing gave a reason for Martinez being taken off was that he didn’t have a whole preseason. What??? That’s nine months ago and what does that have to do with today’s game?