Game Preview: NYCFC v Montreal Impact

Saturday, April 6th

Nick Fiorino (@stretch_fio)

On Saturday, April 6th NYCFC will look to turn the 2019 campaign around at home against the Montreal Impact, who are without Ignacio Piatti. When their star isn’t in the lineup, the Impact only win 16% of the matches they play. City will also be without their playmaker Maxi Moralez for a second straight match, hopefully leading to a new look XI after a disappointing month of March. Only losing one of their nine total matches against the Impact, City will be confident in front of their home supporters on Saturday afternoon.

Projected Lineup

Attack:

New signing Heber will almost certainly debut against Montreal; I believe it would be foolish for him not to start. Although Domè alluded to Heber coming off the bench, another week of Taty or Jesus Medina through the middle would almost certainly escalate fans’ negative opinions of the manager. Alexandru Mitriță has locked down the starting position on the left, and Heber’s addition and strong holdup play will likely create more chances for the Romanian on Saturday. As always, the attacker on the right is in question, with Jonathan Lewis, Jesus Medina, and Ismael Tajouri-Shradi all available as capable options. I expect ITS to start, put together a solid performance, and begin to take hold of a weekly starting spot in the new NYCFC attack.

Midfield:

City looked completely lost last week without Maxi in the lineup. To head the midfield and link up play between the defense and the attack, I hope to see Keaton Parks get his first start. Most outspoken NYCFC supporters have been calling on Domè to give Parks a run out for weeks, and if not now, when?

Alex Ring and James Sands will both almost certainly start; The question is, where? Alexander Callens will be out with a hamstring injury, and we may see Sands get his first start in the defense alongside Maxime Chanot, but Domè will likely leave the remainder of his midfield unchanged. I expect Ring to remain in his 2019 box-to-box role with Sands spending most of his time just in front of the back four.

Defense:

Ronald Matarrita deserves another start at left back after some questionable performances from Ben Sweat in recent weeks. Mata is at his best at Yankee Stadium, and his service from the left may have newfound meaning with Heber’s aerial ability. Anton Tinnerholm has not been himself yet this season, but Anton has the potential for game changing performances week in and week out. Ibeagha is on this roster for the absences of Maxime Chanot or Alex Callens, and shouldn’t be a liability for the City defense.

Match Prediction: NYCFC 3- 1 Impact

With Domè’s job security on the line, City should be able to dominate the Impact in the Bronx. If Heber can find his name on the goal sheet, supporters will be forced into at least some optimism for the first time this season.

Player Stats

New York City FC:

Goals: Alex Ring (2), Ebenezer Ofori (1), Alexandru Mitriță (1)

Assists: Five Players (1)

Montreal Impact:

Goals: Saphir Taider (3), Ignacio Piatti (3), Orji Okwonkwo (1)

Assists: Maximiliano Urruti (2), Five Players (1)

MLS Statistics

Follow Nick Fiorino on Twitter at @stretch_fio and The Third Rail at @ThirdRailSC.

Visit our website at thirdrail.nyc for merchandise, weekly game previews and more. Interested in joining? Click here.

Watch NYCFC v Montreal Impact at 1:00 ET on YES Network and the FoxSportsGo app

Listen on WNYE 91.5 FM

Game Preview: NYCFC v LAFC

Sunday, March 17th

Nick Fiorino (@stretch_fio)

On Sunday, March 17th, NYCFC host LAFC after two disappointing draws to start the season. City’s depth has been evident thus far, with a multitude of capable wingers fighting for starting spots and James Sands seamlessly entering the XI. Sadly, even more evident has been the lack of a true centre forward on the roster. Although the Rumor Mill is hot, City will have to learn to play without a true striker for the time being. Changes must be made in order to keep pace with the high powered attack of LAFC, featuring Carlos Vela, Diego Rossi, Christian Ramirez, and Adama Diomande.

Projected Lineup

Jesus Medina and Taty both played quite poorly last weekend. Facing the attacking firepower that LAFC brings to every match, I expect City to change their shape on Sunday, and return to the 4-3-3 of old.

Earlier in the week, I was certain that Ismael Tajouri-Shradi would finally get his first start of the season on Sunday. After criticism from his manager and a Questionable tag ahead of the match, this is now unlikely. With that in mind, I expect City to play Maxi through the middle as a false 9, providing service to Alexandru Mitriță on the left and Jonathan Lewis on the right. City will need to create chances on Sunday, and Lewis seems to always find himself in front of the net. Although his end product last weekend was not good enough, I expect Domè to give Jonathan Lewis another run-out.

Domè was happy with the team’s performance for most of last week’s match, but preached the importance of possessing the ball. I believe to win possession on Sunday, another midfielder will be necessary. I expect Keaton Parks to start in a more advanced midfield role alongside Alex Ring, with James Sands spending most of his time between Callens and Chanot. Parks’ ability to pass in the final third might be exactly what City needs to refine their end product, and his size will give NYCFC an aerial option on set pieces that they didn’t have against DC.

I expect the backline to be unchanged after a solid performance at home last week.

Last Meeting

In their only meeting to date, NYCFC and LAFC played to a 2-2 draw at Banc of California Stadium. The game started very well for City, with a VAR Handball leading to a penalty kick, headed in by David Villa off a rebound. LAFC would tie the match at 1-1 soon after, with Sebastien Ibeagha unluckily redirecting a corner into his own net. The game would stay tied at ones until the 66’. Carlos Vela was the first to a loose ball, and scored on his right foot to the glee of the home supporters. City responded quickly though, with an awkward cross from Anton Tinnerholm leading to an amazing finish from Ismael Tajouri-Shradi on the near post. Jesus Medina and Jo Inge Berget both missed clear cut chances which could have won the match for NYCFC, but the back and forth contest finished with both sides taking a point.

Match Recap

Highlights

LAFC Player Spotlight: Carlos Vela

Carlos Vela has been the best player on the pitch in his first two games of the season. WhoScored’s Man of the Match in LAFC’s 2-1 win over Sporting Kansas City, and tallying a goal and two assists in a 4-1 victory against the Timbers, Vela has been a revelation since he arrived in MLS. To scare City fans even more, of Vela’s fourteen goals last season, ten came away from home. Just as he has in 2019, Vela started 2018 hot as well, leading LAFC to the best first ten games for an expansion side in MLS history. The current MLS Player of the Week will be a serious problem for City on Sunday.

Player Stats

New York City FC:

Goals: Alex Ring and Ebenezer Ofori (1)

Assists: Jonathan Lewis and Alexandru Mitriță (1)

Los Angeles Football Club:

Goals: Adama Diomande (2)

Assists: Carlos Vela (2)

MLS Statistics

Follow Nick Fiorino on Twitter at @stretch_fio and The Third Rail at @ThirdRailSC.

Visit our website at thirdrail.nyc for merchandise, weekly game previews and more. Interested in joining? Click here.

Watch NYCFC v LAFC at 3:00 ET on Fox Sports 1 and the FoxSportsGo app

Listen on WNYE 91.5 FM

Game Preview: NYCFC v DC United

Sunday, March 10th

Nick Fiorino (@stretch_fio)

On Sunday, March 10th, NYCFC host D.C. United for City’s Home Opener. After a disappointing draw last Saturday, our boys in blue return to the fortress that is Yankee Stadium, where City lost only one match in seventeen played last season.

Lineup Prediction

Domè is a tinkerer. Especially at Yankee Stadium, City’s skipper will look to change the team’s shape and tactics throughout the match. With that in mind, I expect NYCFC to line up in an ultra-fluid and ultra-attacking 4-1-4-1, merging into a 5-2-3 in defense.

City is at full strength with Ronald Matarrita back from another brief injury, but I expect the backline to be unchanged from Saturday. With that being said, I do believe that Alex Ring will start where James Sands did against Orlando, just in front of the two centerbacks. At Yankee Stadium, however, Callens, Ring, and Chanot will likely form a back three at times, allowing Ben Sweat and Anton Tinnerholm to make overlapping runs in the attack.

Regardless of your opinion on the dimensions of Yankee Stadium, NYCFC are a much better team at home with a box to box midfielder, whose passing in the final third is essential to linking up the defense with the attack. I believe that Keaton Parks is the man for the job, grabbing his first NYCFC start in front of the home supporters.

City’s roster consists of a multitude of attacking options, it’s up to Domè to choose which to start. To make his decision a bit easier, I believe NYCFC will start with four true attacking threats on Sunday: Maxi Moralez, Alexandru Mitriță, Jesus Medina, and Ismael Tajouri-Shradi. I expect Medina and ITS to play tight to the touchlines, forcing the DC defense to make crucial decisions once their high-press breaks down. Mitriță can play through the middle, but the fluid attack will find our new DP on the left for a good portion of the match as well. This season, I envision NYCFC at their best at home, when Mitriță and Maxi are given freedom in their positioning, with the rest of the attack high-pressing their opponents, preventing stars like Wayne Rooney and Lucho Acosta from possession of the ball.

Jonathan Lewis’ role this season is a controversial topic. Regardless, I expect Jonathan Lewis as a late game sub at Yankee Stadium this season, a role he thrived in last season in the Bronx.

Another possibility for City on Sunday is giving Eben Ofori another start after his great goal last weekend in place of Jesus Medina. At times last season, Ofori would begin at the left midfield role at home, dropping deeper into the midfield in defense, perhaps even man-marking one of DC’s many dangermen.

Last Meeting

On October 21st in NYCFC’s second to last match of the season, City fell 3-1 away to a red-hot DC United. DC started the match in style, with Lucho Acosta’s tight dribbling leading to an easy finish for Rooney. Chances were few and far between in the first half for the Blues, and Acosta would soon make it 2-0 on a shot from just outside the box. A penalty slotted away by Rooney killed the match off in the second half, as David Villa’s consolation goal meant nothing for a City team with one win in their last nine.

Match Recap

Follow Nick Fiorino on Twitter at @stretch_fio and The Third Rail at @ThirdRailSC.

Visit our website at thirdrail.nyc for merchandise, weekly game previews and more. Interested in joining? Click here.

Watch NYCFC v DC United at 3:00 ET on YES Network

Listen on WNYE 91.5 FM