The great Frank Sinatra used to sing that if you can make it in New York, you will make it anywhere and it seems that New York City FC are picking the tune as they are the most successful MLS team on the road at the moment.
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The team coached by former Arsenal legend, Patrick Vieira, are actually the only away team in MLS with more victories than defeats on the road, picking 10 points in the process just one shy of Toronto FC but with two games less.
Undefeated in their last road tour, New York City FC picked two impressive wins in D.C and Portland before securing a draw last Wednesday in Toronto in a game where Patrick Vieira made a few substitutions to the starting line-up thinking about the derby in the weekend with the Red Bulls.
NYCFC are at the top of the Eastern Conference and are also leaders in points per game on the road. One of only four teams in the MLS that average more than one point per game away from home. Apart from New York FC, away teams have been terrible of lately making their mark even more impressive.
In the first 56 games of the season away sides managed to win 13 and draw 17 for a total of 56 points or a point on average per game. However, in the last 56 matches that trend has reversed and away teams have only won six of those 56 matches picking only 33 points or 0.59 points per game.
NYCFC are the only USA team to have won an on the road game in the last 56 MLS matches
NYCFC have picked two of those six victories with Toronto FC also picking two and Montreal Impact and Vancouver Whitecaps picking the other two wins. That means that NYFC are the only USA team to have won an on the road game in the last 56 MLS matches.
As it stands right now, away teams have won 19 games out of 112, drawing 32, for an average of 0.79 pts per match giving the home teams an average of 1.92 points per game. This averages seem closer to football standards so we assume that away teams won’t underperform as much as they did in the last 56 games, now that we reach a medium point.
However, it is worth mentioning that no a single team in MLS have picked more victories than defeats on the road in a season since Seattle and Portland did so in 2014, making NYCFC current form even more impressive.
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There is also the fact that they have done this without a single minute from one of their DPs Frank Lampard. Even that Frank has already been label as the worst Designated Player in MLS history, and no without reason, it is fair to assume that the former Chelsea star should add something to this team once fit. At the very least a useful substitute for Andrea Pirlo who will certainly need some rest as the season continues.
The real problem for Vieira’s side is that they actually haven’t proof that they can make it in New York before making it anywhere, picking only one win in six matches at Yankee Stadium. In Spain this is known as the good father syndrome, as they leave at home what they earn on the road. NYCFC have been particularly bad at blowing leads at home doing so in three of their four draws this season.
Their game on Saturday against the Red Bulls would be a massive test to proof that they can make it in New York, as last year they suffered a defeat in all three derbies. After all, they are already making it anywhere else.