Given it was all but an hour after the 4' Red to Maxime Chanot until the Crew got their goal, the team's description of it being a "stubborn but ultimatley fruitless afternoon" is utter nonesense. This game, the struggle to stay even, the fight to come back will serve them well throughout the year. They will be able to draw upon this for many games in the future, as a reference point of what they are in fact able to do. On a good note, USMNT GK Sean Johnson had his 100th game as a member of NYCFC in MLS play, congrats and welcome to the century club.
NYCFC played so well in the first game of the CCL, but at RBA earlier this week, they did win and dominated but the 1-0 scoreline did not reflect that. Both of those games should have had the team brimming with confidence and based on the hat trick heroics of Heber, that he replaced Castellanos who did well but was not so effective going at goal made a world of sense as their central striker. The red card on the foul by Maxine being a last man had the team down way early. Shortly thereafter, Tinnerholm suffered a blow, was seen by the training staff and downtime in the game threw another monkey wrench into the works. With the strong defender out, Ibeagha was brought into the backline, and pulled Medina who held the ball well and got forward well facing San Carlos was removed from his attacking role. Johnson in his landmark game controlled the area, but NYCFC did clamp down on the Crew who never really had much of a chance in the first stanza. His work was key in limiting the chances of the Crew. Just before the half, NYCFC had what was by far the best chance of the game as at 42' Ring took a free kick, hitting Matarrita on the full volley testing Room as he was forced into a save and the first corner of the night. Another big save by Johnson kept it even early in the 2nd half. The 56' was his kryptonite as the big money man from Columbus from way right of the goal curled one into the upper 90. Ibeagha gave way to Parks due to injury and Taty took over for Heber at the 70' mark in hopes of NYCFC getting even. Mitrita was able to find a great go on goal only to have it halted by Room. A late chance by Taty found the net, the side of it due to the extreme angle of the shot. Next up a chance at revenge for the early departure of the playoffs last year facing Toronto FC headed by Long Islander WIlliam Manning.