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New York City FC International recap: September 2021

By Caitlyn Chale

Peru's Alexander Callens (R) and Venezuela's Eric Ramirez (L) vie for the ball during their South American qualification football match for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 at the National Stadium in Lima on September 5, 2021. (Photo by ERNESTO BENAVIDES / POOL / AFP) (Photo by ERNESTO BENAVIDES/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Peru's Alexander Callens (R) and Venezuela's Eric Ramirez (L) vie for the ball during their South American qualification football match for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 at the National Stadium in Lima on September 5, 2021. (Photo by ERNESTO BENAVIDES / POOL / AFP) (Photo by ERNESTO BENAVIDES/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) /
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Here is a brief recap of the New York City FC players called up for international duty

New York City FC is no stranger to losing players for international matches.  For the September window, five players found themselves called up to their national teams.  Originally, Alexander Callens, Maxime Chanot, James Sands, and Gudmundur Thórarinsson were called up to represent their countries.  But Sean Johnson later joined them, for he was called up due to a COVID-19 case.

Here is what happened with all five NYCFC players during their international duties.

Alexander Callens

Alexander Callens started all three matches for Peru, and played every single minute.  His national team had a 1-1 draw against Uruguay, beat Venezuela in a 1-0 result, and lost 2-0 to Brazil.  This was also the 29 year old’s first time playing in World Cup Qualifying.

Callens was problematic in the defense for his opponents.  He reduced opportunities for the attackers to score against Uruguay and Venezuela.  He also brought his physicality well seen in NYCFC fixtures.  In the match against Uruguay, he had a 92% pass success rate.  With Brazil, it was a tall challenge for Peru to win or draw, yet the center-back held his own.

At this point in time, Callens is making a good argument that he should be a starter for Peru.  He has shined in every game that he has played, and rarely plays poorly for his country.  Then again, he does the same for New York City FC, so it is no surprise that he is performing so well.

Maxime Chanot

Maxime Chanot was called up to the Luxembourg national team.  He did not make an appearance, nor was he available, for the match against Armenia, which saw his side win 2-1.  However, he did start in the 4-1 loss to Serbia, and played 90 minutes before being subbed off.  Unluckily for the veteran, he was responsible for an own-goal in the 81st minute.

He then started the friendly against Qatar, but was subbed off at the half.  That ended in a 1-1 draw, with both goals coming in the half Chanot played.

Sean Johnson

Sean Johnson was called up to the United States national team when starting goalkeeper Zack Steffen tested positive for COVID-19.  He was available for the 1-1 draw against Canada and 4-1 win against Honduras, but did not make an appearance.

James Sands

James Sands was available for all three games for the United States.  He was on the bench for the 0-0 draw against El Salvador and the 1-1 draw against Canada.  However, he did not make an appearance for either game.

After a strong showing in the Gold Cup, and after the not so great performances for the USMNT in the first two fixtures, Sands finally got his shot against Honduras.  The young American got the start in the midfield, and thus NYCFC fans were extremely happy to see their Homegrown player get another chance with the national team.

Sadly, Sands struggled in the first half, and did not play his best.  He got beat up on the pitch, and made some poor fouls too.  When the formation changed in the second half, he did improve, but it was still not his best performance.  He eventually was subbed off in the 73rd minute.

Gudmundur Thórarinsson

Gudmundur Thórarinsson started for Iceland in the 2-0 loss to Romania and the 2-2 draw to North Macedonia.  He played the full 90 minutes against Romania, but was subbed out in the 66th minute in the North Macedonia match.  The versatile player started both fixtures in the left-back position, and had decent performances in both.  Although, a bad pass against North Macedonia led to one of the opposition’s goals.  He was then an unused substitute in the Germany game.

For someone with limited national caps, this was a good experience for the NYCFC left-back, and hopefully his performances with the Bronx side will continue to get him opportunities to play with the Icelandic national team.

What is next?

New York City FC will undoubtedly be grateful to have their defensive players return for Saturday’s match against the New England Revolution.  Unfortunately, the Bronx side was without any of their starting center-backs against Nashville SC, and lost 3-1.  The return of Callens, Chanot, and Sands will be extremely important for their next fixture.  Plus, since Johnson joined up with the United States after that game, they are not losing him at all.

On the other hand, with travel and COVID-19, there might be a chance some of the five are not available.  This would be extremely problematic since NYCFC is without Jesús Medina and Maxi Moralez.

While World Cup Qualifying matches are significant, the Pigeons might have to think about the next international window.  Clearly, they lose a majority of their starting defenders, and with the season’s end getting closer, losing such players will be challenging.  Between that, and COVID-19, it might be time for NYCFC to deny these players from joining their national teams for the rest of the season.

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