New York City FC are on the road this weekend with a trip to TQL Stadium to face FC Cincinnati

Here’s the Keys to the Match, presented by Tri-State Ford…

Taty's Back

The meeting with FC Dallas saw Taty Castellanos sit out the game due to suspension.

The Argentine striker had started every game of the season prior to that, and become a vital component for the team in the final third. In his absence, NYCFC were still able to score three goals, pointing to the team’s attacking strength, but being able to welcome him back to the team will be a major boost.

Not only a dangerous finisher, Castellanos is brilliant at bringing teammates into play, and proved that fact with a delightful assist for the opener against New England Revolution.

His constant running and hassling of defenders adds another layer to his game, and overall, this will give Ronny Deila a lot of options in attack. The return of Héber, and the emergence of Talles Magno means NYCFC now have options both in personnel and also systems.

Set-Piece Success

The last time the two sides met the game was defined by set-pieces and the work of NYCFC assistant coach Rob Vartughian.

All five of NYCFC’s goals came via this avenue, and it would be naïve to think it is not something the Boys in Blue could exploit once again this weekend. The presence of aerial threats like Maxime Chanot, Alex Callens, Keaton Parks, Taty Castellanos and more give NYCFC a strength at both ends of the field.

Vartughian is consistently working on ways for the team to generate chances through set-pieces, and he will no doubt have been working on things this week with Saturday’s game in mind. For that reason, don’t be shocked if the Boys in Blue find a breakthrough via a corner or a freekick.

Back To Basics

Ronny Deila made no secret he is unhappy with the Club’s form in the buildup to this game.

NYCFC have failed to won in three games, and with the playoff race heating up every point matters. Speaking on Thursday, Ronny Deila had a clear message: Keep it simple.

“We need to get back on track again,” he said. “The most important thing now is to simplify things, in the way we get into the game, and to get the foundation to be really good like most of the season. Defensively, we have to be secure. We know we have players to score goals, we always create chances, we almost always score goals. It’s about getting the basic things to be right, and attack when we get opportunities.”