NYCFC @ Galaxy
LA win probability is 41% NYCFC 32% a tie, 26%. This belies the realities of last year, NYCFC went to the Eastern Final while the league champions of the year before had a very bad year, 14th in the west.
LA into the area before the first minute ends and Haak gets his name called for the first time facing his boyhood team ever. Into the area and at 90 seconds, LA goes up, Klauss sends it home. From a restart it goes into the area cutback to Klauss and buries it. The pressure of LA has Freese give out a poor pass, taken in the area but cleared out. NYC with a break, Wolf looks forward, denied and NY throw. I wonder what the percentages are now? From the bottom of the circle straight to Freese, they did a lot less of this in the preseason than years past. Wolf out to Ojeda, into the area and out O’Neil with a foul. From the foul to the GK of NY, again. A battle down the wing as the talking heads discuss other things. Big cross to O’Toole and a bit back, over the top at the penalty mark headed away, but NY holds and still at the bottom of the circle. NY holding at about 30 yards not getting forward much, seemingly content to hold, they lose it near the bottom of the circle now wide to Pec, Gustavo knocks it loose, LA gets it back. Klauss gets a gift off a deflected clearance, looking inside and a terrible shot from within the area by his target. NY with a player upfield open, choose to go inside to traffic and lose a throw. NY looks forward to a covered player and lose possession. NY with 65% of the ball at 13’, are not exactly having much by way of positive possession. Ojeda outside near the top of the area and back to Gray it goes. Over the top by NY and offside as a pair of players were in the same space. LA with a number of passes broken up and Wolf on the receiving end of the pass from Kai, he took a bit too much time to shoot. Gustavo breaks up a long string of LA passes and suffers a foul for it. The restart gets to Freese, his ball out headed back by LA and they are in the area in a moment, Klauss too high, now Pec with a shot saved by Matty, foul, NY DFK. Again, to Freese in full sun and again his ball out is lost. Pressure off the goal kick leads to a long ball from NY to the LA GK who takes it with his feet and plays it away. LA go outside with it and now way back to the GK again from probably 30 yards off the NY goal. NY knocks it free but LA regains it. Gustavo down and Pec denied as he was off. Maxi taken down no call, NY gets it back, gives it away with an errant pass out of touch. Maxi into the area and Marces heads it clear, NY corner at 24’. NY just is not playing it out wide much on the left side. Maxi over the ball, he goes to the side of the 6, ex Union man Glesnes heads it out, Klauss is down, holding his head so the play is blown down. He took a stray kick from Martins. Klauss is up and off as he must. Moralez into the area, Haak gets it away and Klauss is back. The ball goes endline with Wolf, played to a white shirt, NY foul. All 3 backs for NY get the ball, now down to Gustavo and a long ball to Ojeda, back out now and to the other wing on the ground. Back to the center circle, on the right side again Ojeda. Wolf opened up for a pass, looking to Maxi in a crowd, Glesnes gets it out. Nico beyond the arc is well high of the net. Nico suffers a hard foul, it is blown down, he is not happy. NY wins a throw, and they go to their backfield. LA defends out for a corner, less than 20 yards on the field and NY goes back to the circle. Ojeda right side stripped outside the area NY pressing, they recover and Maxi is down NY holds. Wolf again on the wing goes endline but too much on it for O’Toole. Paintsil for Klauss and cleared out, now a foul just beyond the area by NY. Nico, runs through a player. DFK from 25 yards, this will be on goal. Marco has his shot go into Freese who then gathers it up. NY moved forward a bit only to go to the defense, Maxi comes back and Nico is tripped from behind and a caution to Garces at 36’. LA pressing and fouls, quick restart and NY holds to Wolf again on the wing, Glesnes clears to Kai, Maxi inside again Glesens to Kai, Haak with a steal and beats one then O’Toole pulls him to the ground. Nico from Wolf and defended away, Wolf sends one in and Nico offside calls it back. LA over the top Paintsil pulls away from Martins, LA holds on the wing, Pec has it now Gray keeps it in play on the byline, NY getting forward, Wolf leads the charge drops the ball now to the center and outside for Ojeda, too much of a lead to himself, defended out for a NY throw. Maxi on the wing, drops for O’Toole, his ball in too much, Gray gets his man bad and a card is out, he got Paintsil well as he missed the ball with force. Paintsil stays down. Maxi with a foul in the LA area as they were getting on goal. Half a dozen minutes of added time coming. Martins on the endline does not even clear the top of the area, LA gets a throw very deep. Pec on the receiving end lays it off, returned to him in the area, his shot saved for a corner by Freese. LA goes shot now with speed, Pec on goal near post, Freese holds it. As in preseason NY is leaving a handful of players forward, but again like preseason, it is not noted or shown as it happend. Reus beaten to the ball by Freese. O’Neill drops to Gray now Martins Gustavo with a ball to Ojeda in the air defended for a throw from near the top of the area. Played well back to Freese with less than 3’ to go. Pec with a steal and long run, the NY player did not come back to the ball, he loses it then fouls Maxi. Martins finds his player who cannot handle it now Moralez for Nico and nothing, NY foul by Maxi on Reus. Gustavo defends out for a deep throw in his defense end about 10 yards and the throw will not be taken as the half is over.
NY must get forward quicker, they stall at the top of the area too much. LA needs at least another goal to feel safe as it is both a slim lead and a game where they are not seeing much of the ball.
NY opening kick goes back, far forward and lost, now a throw in the defensive third of LA, of course, they then go to their own backfield. Both teams come out as they started. Forward headed down, into the defender it is recovered by NY, the GK is being pressured after a poor pass in the back another one coming out and a foul on O’Neill. Light pressure from NY leads to a pass to the LA GK, turned back and again to their GK goes the home team. Far over and taken by NY lost and now a sliding tackle by NY gives LA a throw. Across the field go LA, then back and lost out of touch under pressure from Nico. NY foul on the wing at the top of the circle. Now NY presses and win the ball only to be fouled at midfield. Long ball to no one by NY and the GK clears, NY wins a header and out. Now LA 70% to win NY 9%. NY getting forward, again the ref is hit. NY forward now in and back out, NY off a bad pass win a throw. Maxi offside as he gets a good pass. NY pressing and the GK gives it straight away, Maxi for Gray out to Wolf and again Gray, he returns it, Gustavo at the circle Ojeda from beyond the area, partially blocked then cleared out, NY holds Nico for O’Toole, turn over, Reus getting forward now pulls it back and far back in the LA defense. Aude the target and NY gets a throw in their end. NY is losing far too many balls. Martins reads a dummy, sends it about 40 yards forward to LA. Now pressing, Aude has his pas played out by Gray. Maxi and Nico pass back and forth, Nico for O’Toole, the defense snuffs his shot. Kai takes the player down and gets a card for it in his first MLS game at 56’. Trewin just came over from the CFG team in Australia. Nico called for a hard foul, gets an earful from the ref, he ran right through the player. A pair of players down holding their heads a bit, Wolf and another. Great work with Martins and Gray to get the ball forward. NY hods at midfield, now going back and across, Gray a lot on the ball to Wolf and Aude carded on the wing for the hit on Wolf as he took his feet out. Maxi with a poor lead ball into a pair, NY wins a throw. Outside for NY and they pass it about, now to the center and right wing, dropped for Gray he leads , Nico, taken down in the area no whistle, seems he was taken down from behind, Nico is down still holding near his lower calf. The call is being checked for a possible PK maybe on a Garces handball rather than the player foul. The center is over to take a look. It is both a PK and a 2nd yellow off goes Garces at about the hour mark. Nico is over the ball, he goes left, the GK right, tie game and NY up a player for the duration. LA have not done a thing offensively since that early goal, not that NY has been on goal much. LA sub in Aude off, Reus out Yoshita and Nelson who were waiting entry are now in. O’Toole turns on the jets, just wide after a 30 yard run. I do expect NY to get another offensive player in soon to take advantage of this extra player. Ojeda seeks Moralez from the endline defended out NY get it back. Outside for NY now in the area and looking for an outlet, O’Toole is high on this shot. Well off the ball, Gray tripped, no whistle as LA go forward on goal. Now it is stated it would be a surprise if NY doesn’t make an attacking sub now. NY moving the ball about yet not getting on goal, again the ref, his 3rd touch. NYCFC subs in Parkes for O’Neill at 74’ great to see him back in this the first regular season. Ojeda gives outside now inside and to the other side, Wolf to Parks he stops the ball but the onrushing player is past it, cleared out a bit NY holds. Still not getting so forward as you would think, Parks again tries to leave it does not work. NY with a steal Nico looks in deflected by Glesnes to Nico now out and LA holds. Gray with a steal to Maxi the ball in for Keaton out to Paintsil all but a full field run, into the center of Pec, Klauss and Gustavo collide, the NY player stays down. Parks with a few looks, passes off gets forward and his header is just wide. Baiera in for Gray an 18 year old out of CT. Baiera holds Klauss on his first play in MLS for a foul. Keaton with a steal to Nico past Maxi, Wolf pulls it back and Baiera wins a corner. Nico over the ball he goes to the far side of the 6, headed out NY holds and they go back in the center of the field 2 times, now right side for Nico he finds Kai to Wolf into the 6, cleared out. Nico wins a throw. From deep in their end with about 10’ left now across the area, Wolf inside leads Keaton to Maxi across the area beyond all, O’Toole battles Pec it comes loose and LA fouls. Kai in some pain he was run through by Pec and is holding his shoulder. DFK NY from 35 yards Nico into the area out to Wolf, his weak effort is also wide. NY need more than these half chances to take points on the road. Nico pokes it past his mark, then cuts back leaving him on the ground, the ball in taken by La. Haak outlets and Parks gets a card, leaving Pec on the ground as he swept his feet.LA on the wing in for Klauss, his side volley, a full miss. Nasciomento for Klauss, Magno in and Shore in as Wolf and Kai are off. A famous last name in Brazialin soccer steps on with another from Brazil with so much promise. A deep throw for LA, Pec beats Maxi gets it across and NY takes it. Shore on the ball looks for Baiera its lost, onto Keaton on the ground and play on. Looks from a rear camera that Glesnes took out Keaton, and the VAR check says no PK. We have 7’ of added time here. Nico from Parks with a curling shot, just wide. A closer view seems Keaton kept going forward and just tripped over him. Keaton with a steal feeds Magno, he beats one, lays it back. Last time here, he would have taken on more players. Talles fouls Glesnes on the byline. It was just stated that there may be no defender in the league who knows the NYCFC team as well, maybe just maybe Haak? Magno with a touch of class to Maxi not to the wing and Shore who gives back and back again to the center circle. Baiera takes one on and drops to Nico. Now Maxi, Shore and Keaton, out to Maxi, he return it and gets it back, they must get on goal, back to the circle they go. Ojeda lays it back inside now to Keaton, out to Ojeda, goal kick. Under a minute, NY have only themselves to blame for this result. Pec into the are, no white top nearby, Freese grabs it, Maxi pays it off and that is the final whistle.