New York City FC vs. CF Montréal: A goal will do
New York City FC beat CF Montréal 1-0 in their second meeting of the 2021 season
It has only been about two weeks since New York City FC played their worst game of the 2021 season. In that game, the Pigeons fell to CF Montréal, falling 2-1. Since then, the team lost to the Columbus Crew, which was also a 2-1 result. However, in that fixture, NYCFC outplayed their opponent despite the score. Still, they lost two matches in a row, and looked to change their fate Wednesday night. Plus, the team wanted to snap Montréal’s six-game unbeaten streak.
And, the Bronx side playing in New Jersey did just that. The Pigeons beat the Canadian side by a 1-0 margin. While the team did not play as well compared to the match against the Crew, this time they got the much needed win, and three points.
NYCFC’s first and only goal came in the 29th minute. Backup goalkeeper Luis Barraza got himself an assist after a long and hard pass toward the other side of the pitch. Ismael Tajouri-Shradi was in the right place after a good run toward the center of the final third. He ended up in a 1 v 1 battle against Zorhan Bassong, but was able to maneuver around the defender. Then, Montréal goalkeeper James Pantemis was too far away from goal. So, the Libyan international flicked the ball up in the air and over Pantemis, leading the ball to bounce into the back of the net.
Once again, Tajouri-Shradi is proving his worth. He scored his fifth goal of the season, and is consistently a threat in the attack, both as a provider and a shooter. He deserves to start, and it seems Ronny Deila realizes how vital the forward is to the team. But, since the rest of the summer will be busy, and rotation will be a must, Deila knows he will always be an easy substitution to put on the pitch as well. Nonetheless, having a healthy Tajouri-Shradi is a huge difference maker, and hopefully he will continue to be a contributor as the season goes on.
But, the winger was not the only star of the match. As mentioned, Barraza got the assist on the goal, and a clean sheet as well. More importantly, the backup goalkeeper got his first win with New York City FC, and in MLS. He might have only made one save, but he made some critical stops as the ball was sent into the box. Toward the end of the match, he even punched the ball away from goal to keep Montréal from grabbing a shooting opportunity. There is no doubt Barraza has improved since he made his first start, and illuminated he can grow as he gains professional experience.
Some concerns
There are some concerns though. Forward Valentín Castellanos failed to score again, and that is now a nine-game streak without a goal. Although, his work rate in the match against Montréal was evident. He had five shots with two on target, and never slowed to where he was not a threat. The quality of a forward is there, but the current missing ability to execute and score is troublesome for the Argentine.
Furthermore, while he is good in the attack as a threat, not scoring is not good enough. For someone the league refers to as a striker, he is starting to prove that maybe the wings are where he belongs. It will be interesting to see what happens once Héber returns, and Castellanos can play on the wings. But for now there is no choice; he has to score.
It is not just Castellanos, but rather the team as a whole. Combined, they took17 shots and five shots on goal. Yet, the final score was 1-0. The Pigeons should have had at least another goal or two, but the finishing touch was missing. If New York City FC can find the goals, then they will be an unstoppable force in the Eastern Conference. For now, a goal will have to do, and one goal led to the three points.