New York City FC: Loss against New York Red Bulls is concerning

Sep 25, 2021; New York, New York, USA; New York City FC midfielder Alfredo Morales (7) plays the ball against New York Red Bulls defender Andres Reyes (4) during the second half at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 25, 2021; New York, New York, USA; New York City FC midfielder Alfredo Morales (7) plays the ball against New York Red Bulls defender Andres Reyes (4) during the second half at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports /
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New York City FC fell to the Red Bulls in the second match of the Hudson River Derby week

On Wednesday, the first of the two Hudson River Derby matches occurred at Red Bull Arena between New York City FC and the New York Red Bulls.  It ended in a controversial 1-1 draw due to poor mismanagement by the referee.  Between an unwarranted red card to Keaton Parks, and then a disputed penalty kick given in the final moments to the Red Bulls, NYCFC had a bitter taste in their mouth.  They know they should have won.

Going into the second Hudson River Derby clash of the week, the Pigeons wanted to take all three points on Saturday night.  More importantly, the players wanted to give the fans at Yankee Stadium something to cheer about.  Despite missing Parks and Maxime Chanot, NYCFC still fielded a decently strong starting lineup.  On paper, they had the edge over their rivals, including that extra added chip on the shoulders of every single person in New York City blue.

Unfortunately, NYCFC fell at home to the Red Bulls, losing 1-0.  The team could not find a goal, nor were they able to dominate the less experienced team.  Instead of the expected six points from the derby week, they picked up just one.

At the start of the fixture, the Pigeons came out on fire, but the Red Bulls soon caught up to make it a back and forth affair.  Although NYCFC led with about 67% of the possession in the first half, both sides had six shots, and created attacking opportunities.  After the match on Wednesday, fans would have thought the Bronx side would have used that chip on their shoulders to score goals in the first half, but it was the Red Bulls who struck first.

In the 43rd minute, NYCFC’s defense had a lapse, and left Omir Fernandez unmarked.  Kyle Duncan saw his fellow teammate, and with a pass of the ball, Fernandez put his side ahead.  It was a good shot, but if he was marked, then maybe the NYCFC defense could have had a chance to stop the goal.

Then, in the second half, the fight from both teams continued.  The Pigeons increased their shots significantly, but in the end they were outshot by the Red Bulls.  NYCFC also finished the fixture with over 64% of the possession, but that did not matter, for the goals never arrived.  Not only were some opportunities missed, but the red side of New York, or the New Jersey side, was defensively able to protect the narrow lead.  Therefore, the final result was not what the numerous fans at Yankee Stadium expected.

Concerns for New York City FC

This week did not go as expected, which is extremely concerning.  New York City FC is the stronger team this year, and yet they could not grab a win from either game of the Hudson River Derby week.  Instead, they find themselves in a troublesome position, and desperately need a win streak to fight for a top four finish, let alone a playoff spot.  And unlike the match on Wednesday, they cannot blame Saturday’s loss on the referee.

Yes, they had chances, and yes, they played with a ton of fight.  Yet, the finishing curse that plagued them so much in 2020 sneaked back in against the Red Bulls.  It did not help that Chanot and Parks were unavailable either, and instead Alfredo Morales, who is still not playing his best, had to play in the defensive midfield with Nicolás Acevedo.  This pushed James Sands into the center-back position, who struggled mightily so with bad giveaways and poor fouls.  Nonetheless, even with some player choices, many individual performances were below average, and these struggles hurt the team overall.

And of course, fans can question Ronny Deila’s Starting XI, but minus the defensive midfield, it was a solid starting lineup.  The attacking players should have scored to get the win, even with any defensive lapses.  Furthermore, where was that anger that should have fired them to a win after Wednesday’s draw?  In the end, the players are partially to blame regarding the loss.

At the same time, Deila has some of the blame as well.  He should have led his team to win at home against a bottom of the table side.  But, this time around, excluding the changes made at half time, his substitutions added to the attack.  He actually took a risky move by taking defensive players out, and it did not backfire, for the Red Bulls did not score again.  Still, that does not mean he has not made poor substitution choices this season, for he has.  And Deila should have been able to win against their rival…  It was just not good enough.

Additionally, maybe they should have fought to overturn the red card from Parks.  It is questionable to why the club did not attempt to do so, and there should have been no issue regarding that matter.

Credit must be given when due though, and the Red Bulls did defend well, and frustrated the Pigeons.  On paper, NYCFC might have been the better side, but as every player and fan knows, that does not matter once the whistle blows.  The New Jersey side played well enough, and caused the Bronx side to lose at Yankee Stadium.

Regardless of this poor Hudson River Derby Week, NYCFC are still in third place in the Eastern Conference.  Games around the league went their way, and that is something that has been happening over the team’s struggles this past month.  That does not change the fact the team should be better with the quality of players they have.  Plus, the third through seventh place teams are only separated by two points.  All it takes it one more loss to be out of playoff contention, which is the biggest concern at this time.

Hence, at this point, New York City FC are clearly in trouble.  If they do not pick things up, then this talented team might find themselves missing the playoffs for the first time since the first season.  What is the issue?  Is it the players?  Is it Deila?  In the end, it does not matter, for the Pigeons have not done well in their past six games.  It is problematic, and then only taking one point in two matches against the Red Bulls…  For fans, it is awful.