Starting off their four game road trip against Sporting Kansas City, New York City F.C. felt the heat and had it’s four game winning streak come to an end in Sunday’s 3-1 loss.
It might’ve been a sunny day in Kansas City, but nothing was shining on NYCFC as the boys in blue were shut down by Sporting Kansas City. The game was provided with two mandatory water breaks as the conditions were too intense with 90 degree weather and NYCFC felt the heat.
Patrick Vieira set up his usual 4-3-3 line-up with an almost identical starting XI. The big switch he made was putting Ronald Matarrita up top with David Villa and Jack Harrison leaving Jason Hernandez and RJ Allen on the sides.
From the first minute, Sporting Kansas City had one mentality and that was to attack. They kept the pressure on and brought NYCFC back to it’s old days. Despite it’s recent success, the back line struggled mightily and were caught ball watching in the eighth minute.
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Sporting put a dangerous ball in the air that floated over a diving Josh Saunders that hit the post, Benny Feilhaber found the ball at his feet and tapped it in to give his club the lead. NYCFC’s one of few attacks started with Andrea Pirlo. The Italian moved up the ball up and gave it off to Matarrita on his left side, Matarrita gave a beautiful ball to Lampard in the middle of the box and Lampard buried it in the back of the net. Lampard notched his fourth goal of the season and restarted the game for NYCFC.
A minute later, Jimmy Medranda found some open space outside the box and belted the ball. Thanks to a rookie mistake by Saunders, the ball found it’s way under Saunders’ arms and over the line. That goal seemed to have deflated NYCFC and it was all Sporting Kansas City from there.
Vieira’s boys seemed too tired and had no plan of attack, especially Villa who was marked by three defenders. Harrison was also kept in check and the midfield had no sense of possession.
Six minutes into the second half, Ikenna Ike Opara found the ball in the box after a failed clearance and split the NYCFC defenders putting the ball past Saunders. With the game at 3-1, Vieira reverted to his 3-5-2 formation putting in Patrick Mullins, but that didn’t work either.
In the end, NYCFC just flat out did not come to play and underestimated Kansas City. The Sporting squad looked more energized and prepared leaving NYCFC with it’s lowest possession rating since coming into the league with 34 percent.
Despite the loss, NYCFC is still holding on to that first place spot but have the Philadelphia Union and the Montreal Impact sneaking up from behind.
Just like any loss, NYCFC must regroup and travel to Montreal with a plan as Vieira needs to be prepared for next Sunday.