3 things we learned from the insane NYCFC win over the Philadelphia Union

The last time New York City FC played the Philadelphia Union, the Pigeons shocked the Supporters’ Shield winners by beating them in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.  There was a question about whether the team could repeat their postseason success and win again.  It was a difficult battle, but the Bronx side won in Chester for the second match in a row, winning 2-1 thanks to a late goal.

The first half was stronger offensively compared to the entire game against the LA Galaxy.  The team had five shots on target compared to just one last week.  As a whole, the Queens side had ten shots on target out of their 13 total, with most of the second-half shots coming at the end of the fixture.  It was not shocking that Hannes Wolf scored the opening goal in the 36th minute.

Meanwhile, as good as NYCFC was in the attack, they also had to spend too much time defending, especially in the second half.  Everyone contributed, working intensely to keep the Union out of the goal.  In fact, the only reason the home side found the back of the net was thanks to a penalty kick that was given up by Thiago Martins.  For a short moment, after Indiana Vassilev scored in the 89th minute thanks to the penalty, it felt like the game would end in a draw. 

But thanks to a Tayvon Gray header in the ninth minute of stoppage time, NYCFC ended the evening with all three points.  So, here are three things we learned from the first win and first road win of the season.

Seymour Reid needs more experience with NYCFC

Seymour Reid came on in the 74th minute for Maxi Moralez, stepping into the striker position.  This allowed Nicolás Fernández Mercau to play in the attacking midfield, which is one of the positions he is more comfortable in.  But for Reid, these were valuable minutes.

The young striker needs to play more with NYCFC.  But at the same time, he still lacks the experience that Pascal Jansen can rely on him.  After all, there is a reason he is not starting as a replacement for the injured Alonso Martínez.  And against the Philadelphia Union, Reid showed his potential, but also his youth.

He had two fantastic chances to double the lead before the match was tied.  His first chance saw him with nobody in front of him as he ran over the halfway point.  The only player he had to deal with was the Philadelphia goalkeeper, Andre Blake, who was truly wonderful during the fixture.  The young NYCFC forward should have scored by going around and trying to score from an angle instead of the front and center of the box. 

Unfortunately, Reid took his shot from right outside the box and directly at Blake.  This was a mistake that someone who is inexperienced would make, and that was the case for the young forward.  Instead of scoring, Blake made the save.

Then, he also had the ball in the box with room to take a shot and even score.  But again, Reid stumbled and failed to even force a shot, and Blake was able to gobble up the ball.

Thankfully, NYCFC still won, but if they had not, then these missed opportunities would have hurt.  These moments will be great tape for the Homegrown player to look at and improve his craft.

NYCFC had a little luck throughout the match

As mentioned, it felt like the game would end in a draw after Philadelphia tied the score late in the second half.  NYCFC just had to hold on, but instead, the Union scored via a penalty kick.  That does not mean, though, that the Pigeons failed defensively.  They were brilliant, with the exception of Martins' mistake.

However, the penalty kick given and the one not given earlier in the second half could both be argued to go one way or the other.  And in some way, NYCFC might have been lucky that the first penalty kick was not given. 

Raul Gustavo, while weak, did make contact with Jovan Lukić.  But the issue at hand was whether the foul was clear and obvious.  Per the referee, it was not.  At the same time, if the initial call had been for the referee to award a penalty kick, then it is highly likely that the call would have stood then as well.

Then, NYCFC increased their offensive output during stoppage time of the second half.  With ten minutes to go, the fight to find the winning goal was on full display.  But what helped them was that Olwethu Makhanya received a second yellow card, resulting in a red and a sending off.  This put the Bronx side up a man for the second week in a row, and things changed significantly. 

So, in the 90th plus nine minutes of stoppage time, Gray eventually scored to give NYCFC the win.  The players did not give up, but they also had a little luck.

Tayvon Gray is a hero

Speaking about Gray, many probably did not believe that he would be the one to score against the Union, let alone the winning goal.  Plus, it occurred late in stoppage time, which made the moment that much more special.  The exhilaration on his face was absolutely joyful to see.  Every NYCFC fan who traveled to Chester was ecstatic, and Gray became the hero.

One must give the flowers to the two players who led to the goal.  Talles Magno was near the endline and passed the ball to Agustín Ojeda, who was near the bottom left corner of the box.  The Argentine swept the ball into the box and toward the goal, and Gray was able to make contact with his head.  He forcefully sent the ball into the ground, and it bounced past Blake and into the back of the net. 

The late heroics by the right-back, regardless of whether the team had a little help in stoppage time, led NYCFC to the first win and the first road win of the season.