New York City FC: Good old-fashioned bullying what was needed
By Josh Sippie
New York City FC are going to be in the mix for top-honor this year, but it’s always nice to go full-alpha and bully a team, just to feel good about yourselves.
Given the unpredictability on a week-to-week basis in MLS, there are always going to be surprises, and those surprises come in various shapes and sizes. But there are some teams who are more likely than others to show up and lay a beat-down on inferior opposition, solely for the sake of reinvigorating the team a bit. New York City FC is one such team.
It hadn’t been a good run for the Sky Blues. After starting the season perfectly, they had won just one of their last five matches. Granted, two of the draws were superb 2-2 results at Atlanta and at LAFC, but sometimes it’s nice to just take a load off and beat the piss out of a team.
Especially when they had just had the piss beaten out of them by their hated rivals over in that other state to the south. And by Portland too, if we’re being honest.
Related Story: 3 Things Learned From NYCFC's Win Over Colorado
Matched up against Western Conference bottom-feeders Colorado Rapids, New York City FC reminded people that, no, it was not time to panic. They were just grinding for awhile, but now that they are back to their best, the world is their oyster.
More from MLS Multiplex
- Javier Milei Elected in Argentina: Potential Impacts on MLS and Signings of Argentine Players
- Orlando City and New York City FC in the Battle for Matías Arezo; Grêmio Enters Negotiations! Who Will Come Out on Top?
- USA, Honduras, Panama, and Canada Close in on a Spot in the 2024 Copa America
- De Gea Turns Down Al-Nassr’s Lucrative Offer: Speculation Points to Possible Reunion with Messi at Inter Miami
- Messi’s Magnetic Impact in the United States
While New York City FC didn’t bully Colorado in the same capacity they bullied, say, Real Salt Lake, it was still a cut-and-dry effort. The Cityzens controlled 65% possession, had double the shots on target and over double the chances created.
Most importantly, it was the return of the David Villa that this side has been missing for several weeks now.
Ever since he went down with injury and then proceeded to return, but look less than convincing, the team had been succeeding (or at times failing) without major contributions from El Capitan. That changed against Colorado.
Villa created the most chances of any other two players combined (5), he walked away with two goals and an assist and he was among the team leaders in touches, despite playing a forward position.
It was a typical Villa-esque performance, but one that had not been seen over a month.
Next: MLS Week 11 Power Rankings
So, while it’s nice that New York City FC have largely progressed away from their dependency on their Captain, it’s still just fine to see him carry the club from time to time.