New York City FC secures 2-0 win against Inter Miami CF
New York City FC beat Inter Miami CF on Saturday after two goals in the first half
On Saturday night, New York City FC returned to the controversial Red Bull Arena to take on Inter Miami CF. After a tough two-point road trip, and then after losing on Wednesday in the Leagues Cup, the Pigeons looked to return to winning ways. Fortunately, other results during the road trip fell in favor for NYCFC, so a win would see the team move up to second place in the Eastern Conference.
Meanwhile, on paper, the Pigeons were the stronger team. Going into the match, the team led in goals per game and Miami was second to last. Then, NYCFC was fifth in fewest goals allowed, and Miami was 24th. Hence, one would think this would be an easy three points. Yet, the fixtures against Chicago Fire FC and Toronto FC proved otherwise, so anything could happen. Plus, Miami was on a four-game unbeaten streak.
But finally, NYCFC beat a team toward the bottom of the table, and won 2-0. Valentín Castellanos was responsible for both goals, which came in the first half. This time around though, the Pigeons did not give up any goals in the second, and were able to defend to keep all three points. They still tried to get that third goal though, and continued to attack until the final whistle.
Speaking about Castellanos, he had another fantastic match for NYCFC. Like almost every game this season, his attack rate was astonishing, for he had five shots and three on target. As already known, two of those shots on target were the two first half goals. The first occurred in the 21st minute. Maxi Moralez had a quick look into the box, and immediately recognized the forward was open. He then swept the ball directly to Castellanos, and the younger Argentine headed the ball straight into the top right-corner of the goal. There was nothing Miami’s goalkeeper, Nick Marsman, could do.
Afterwards, toward the late minutes of the half, Thiago won the Pigeons a penalty kick after flicking the ball into the air toward himself, and attempting to kick it on the second touch. Miami’s Kelvin Leerdam put his hands foolishly in the air and the ball made contact, leading to the penalty. Castellanos stepped up to take it in the 46th minute, and kicked a Panenka to put the Pigeons up 2-0.
Other notable moments
Unlike the game in Toronto, New York City FC maintained the clean sheet for the entire 90 minutes. The defense was spot on, and Sean Johnson made four saves on the night. His biggest save had to be the one in the 68th minute. Lewis Morgan, who was the biggest threat to NYCFC, had a powerful shot just outside the right side of the box. Johnson had to stretch to his right, and his fingertips just reached the ball to force a corner, and kept Miami off of the scoresheet.
Additionally, Ronny Deila surprisingly made an early substitution. NYCFC’s head coach has come under fire for making substations late, and even has had some questionable ones over the last few matches. However, this time around, Malte Amundsen struggled a little in the first half. He also had a yellow card, which was given around the 10th minute. So, Deila brought Gudmundur Thórarinsson on at the half. The Icelandic international went on to have a decent half, and instantly made an impact at the left-back position.
Furthermore, while Amundsen did not have his best night, he is still improving from the beginning of the season. Thus, this allows Deila to rotate easily at the left-back position, and hopefully by the end of the year, Amundsen will be just as reliable as Thórarinsson. At least right now, Deila has the opportunity to switch the two, which is extremely helpful in a crowded part of the season.
Currently, NYCFC sits in second place with 31 points. The season surely has been a mix of ups and downs, with some questionable moments and some painful losses. But there have also been some exciting wins, and they just secured their ninth of the season. Whether the side is a top contender in the Eastern Conference will officially be determined over their next few fixtures.
With games against the likes of the Philadelphia Union, Nashville SC, and the New England Revolution, fans will see what the Pigeons can do against these other top sides. In addition, there is a Hudson River Derby to look forward to next Saturday. So, New York City FC got the win to enter a tough stretch of the schedule. It will be interesting to see what happens over the next few weeks.