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New York City FC will play the second match of the Leagues Cup when Club Santos Laguna, S.A. de C.V. comes to New Jersey. Again, the Pigeons unfortunately have to play at Sports Illustrated Stadium, the home of their rivals, the New York Red Bulls. But that fact must be put aside when the game begins.
This will be the most challenging game of their Phase One journey. NYCFC is already without multiple players due to injury, meaning that their bench is thin. And since Cruz Azul is one of the best teams in Liga MX, the likelihood of the Bronx side winning is also thin. Despite the missing players, it is not out of the realm of possibility. They have defeated top teams before in Major League Soccer when they should have lost on paper.
But, in the lead-up to the Leagues Cup, there was the argument, and there still is, that the tournament should not be a priority. The focus should be on the regular season and getting healthy enough so that the players can compete to not only make the postseason, but also contend for the coveted trophy.
It will be interesting to see what Pascal Jansen does with his squad. Here is a preview of the upcoming game between NYCFC and Cruz Azul.
NYCFC vs Cruz Azul preview
Date
NYCFC and Cruz Azul will face off on Sunday, August 9.
Time
The game will start at 7:30 PM.
Location
The match will be in Harrison, NJ at Sports Illustrated Stadium.
How to watch
Supporters can watch the meeting on Apple TV.
Weather
Sunday will be another hot day. It will be around 88 degrees and sunny when the game starts. The good news, though, is that the humidity will be much lower than it has been, for it will be below 50%. The dew point will still be close to 65, so full relief will not be here yet. In other words, fans dress cool for the match.
Injury report
No injury report is released from the Leagues Cup. As such, it is expected that Drew Baiera (leg), Arnau Farnós (leg), Raul Gustavo (leg), Mac Learned (leg), Alonso Martínez (leg), Thiago Martins (leg), Maxi Moralez (leg), Aiden O’Neill (leg), and Kai Trewin (leg) will remain unavailable. Keaton Parks, who is back in training, will likely be questionable.
Players to watch
Nicolás Fernández Mercau is the player to watch on NYCFC. The Argentine was fantastic when he came on at halftime against Club Santos Laguna, S.A. de C.V. on Thursday. This time, one would think that he will start no matter which direction Jansen goes with the starting lineup. His ability on the ball and the fact that he is the team’s best shooter makes him a threat.
Fans should also watch Cruz Azul’s Nicolas Ibañez. The striker is not the best scorer when it comes to top numbers, and arguably has not been as good over the last couple of seasons. However, he is a consistent threat and could easily take advantage of a weakened backline.
Prediction
In complete honesty, even if the Pigeons play their best players available, Cruz Azul will probably win. As such, the prediction is that NYCFC will lose 3-1, and the performance will not be as strong as the Thursday night Leagues Cup game.
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