New York City FC lose dramatic season opener 1-0 to LA Galaxy
On Sunday, New York City FC faced the LA Galaxy in their Major League Soccer season opener. This was the first time the two played one another in the regular season since 2019, and NYCFC previously won the last four of five fixtures.
Regardless of the historical edge, the season opener was expected to be a battle, especially with the likes of Valentín Castellanos and Javier Hernández, or Chicharito, starring for the two sides. The game could have gone either way.
Alas, a 90th minute goal from Chicharito saw the Pigeons lose 1-0 to LA, their first defeat since October. Despite defending for most of the match, the NYCFC attack just could not come through. It was disappointing to lose the first game, and head coach Ronny Deila expressed that to the New York Post.
“Overall the performance was good but we need to be more accurate with the ball to open things up even more. In the end we were disappointed,” he told the New York newspaper.
New York City FC lost their 2022 MLS opener 1-0 to LA Galaxy
In some ways, the play between the two sides was even. LA had a better first half, and then New York City FC had a better second half, until those final five to ten minutes. The home side was better in the attack though, and it was surprising Castellanos struggled in the final third. Although he did have a few scoring opportunities; the difference was the LA defense. The opposing players did well to mark the Argentine, and limited his chances.
Plus, the LA defense just did well to reduce NYCFC’s chances overall. They were especially strong in the box, and the Pigeons continuously lost the ball or had weak shots. There were also a few missed opportunities, including the last minute attempt by Héber that went just wide.
However, while Chicharito did get the winner for LA, the NYCFC defense did well for the majority of the 90 minutes. They kept their opponents out of goal, made vital clearances, and kept LA at bay. It was the one mistake by Keaton Parks, and then Maxime Chanot and Alexander Callens both falling and failing to defend, that led to the goal and loss. Yes, it was devastating that it occurred in the final minutes, but it would be ill-advised to say the Pigeons’ defense was faulty and bad during the match.
Meanwhile, new LA star Douglas Costa was a menace for NYCFC. He was extremely problematic since he was one of the bigger attacking threats. He had two shots, with both on target. Then, the Brazilian was able to get around Talles Magno and Malte Amundsen numerous times. The Bronx left-sided players could not stop him down the pitch, and were constantly left following him. It was a miracle the newcomer did not score, and fortunately he did not play the whole game.
There was also some controversy in the match as well. In fact, fans will remember when Zlatan Ibrahimović put his hands around Sean Johnson, and was not sent off with a red card during the game in 2019. This time, Julián Araujo put his hands on Chanot’s face and brought him down to the ground on a NYCFC free kick. Somehow, there was no call, nor did the foul go to VAR review.
Now, there was another clash in the box, and it looked like that clash could have been called either way. Due to both possible fouls, the moment should had gone to review. It was a blatant foul on Chanot, and a poor move by the LA defender. But the referee made the match his show, and it was one of the multiple missed calls throughout the 90 minutes. Additionally, he was extremely whistle happy as well, so there were calls he could have let the players continue on. Still, there were plenty of fouls on both sides, which made the fixture extremely choppy.
Sure, the Pigeons could not score, and ended up losing because of that. But it is not the end of the world. The team lost their season openers in 2020 and 2021, and of course, everyone knows how 2021 ended. It is not fun to lose, but New York City FC will be okay. They are a talented team, and are destined to have another successful season in 2022.