NYCFC drop points at home…again

It was a frustrating Saturday evening for New York City Football Club as they dropped points again at home in a game they dominated in every statistic but the scoreline. New York City gave Charlotte FC two chances of note and the visiting squad ultimately proved to be the more clinical at finishing their chances.

The 2-1 score line just highlights the glaring absence of a true striker for NYCFC. New York City outshot Charlotte 23-7 and controlled sixty four percent of the possession, but were denied time and time again either because of a week attempt on goal or outstanding goalkeeping from Kristjan Kahlina.

New York City’s inability to finish their chances came back to haunt them about ten minutes into the second half when Harry Toffolo found himself on a break and slotted the ball to Idan Toklomati in the box. Matt Freese had to come off his line to meet the striker but Toklomati sent the ball past him into the back of the net. Against the run of play, Charlotte were suddenly in the drivers seat and New York City were chasing a goal.

The home team did not do themselves any favors as shot after shot was repelled by the Charlotte defense. New York City added another notch to a disturbing three match streak by giving up a goal in the final minutes of a half as Kerwin Vargas made them pay for some less than stellar defensive play by putting an excellent shot across the box and into the far corner of the net.

New York City rallied in stoppage time with a world class shot from Nico Fernandez Mercau to give the fans some hope of a stoppage time draw, but it was all too little too late.

After the match Pascal Jansen summed it all up. “We didn’t let it go at the back end of the game. You’re trying to get yourself into the game, which means you’ll probably give away some more space than you would like to. I think the first half was a demonstration of what this team is capable of doing. Unfortunately, if you see the goal that [Forward] Nico [Fernández Mercau] makes at the end of the game, that’s the only thing that was lacking throughout the game, the quality of the finishing. We create numerous options, multiple options to score a goal. Credit to the goalkeeper as well from Charlotte, because he did a great job. Looking at our own team, we should have scored more than one goal. Overall, it’s a tough one because the way we play, you’ll keep getting chances,
opportunities to get yourself into the game again. Conceding that second [goal]the way we did, that was a tough one because that means it’s probably over. But you can also see, even when we conceded the second goal, the fighting spirit of this team, they never give up. That’s why we got the goal at the end, with maybe one or two moments following that. But overall, good game from our side, especially the first half and the majority of the second half. Quality and finishing was the difference, in my opinion.”

He is right. The game was won in all but the scoreline but that is ultimately what matters most. The lack of a striker for NYCFC is staring to emerge as a true weakness for the team as opponents seems to be operating with the game plan of covering up Mercauand denying him an true opportunities and betting that the rest of New York City are not going to be clinical enough to finish their chances. Saturday night Charlotte FC’s game plan was right.