New York City FC will have two chances to reverse their recent misfortunes and end their winless streak this week. The team has played six matches in Major League Soccer and seven games in all competitions without picking up a win. As such, the first opportunity will be against the New England Revolution, whom they last played to a draw a few weeks ago.
In MLS, it has not been the worst time, as the Pigeons have gone 0-2-4, picking up four points. And it is not like they have played awfully either. Look at the last Revolution match; Pascal Jansen made a couple of early changes, and that turned the game around, allowing the Boys in Blue to leave with a point.
Meanwhile, the pressure to win also involves the need to win at home. NYCFC has a terrible home record this season, with a 4-4-4 record at Yankee Stadium and Citi Field. Fans want the home venues to turn back into the locations where the stadiums are fortresses. It used to be extremely difficult for opposing teams to win in the Big Apple, so what happened?
Nevertheless, it is important to focus on the now and not the past. Here is a preview of the game between NYCFC and the New England Revolution.
NYCFC vs New England preview
Date
NYCFC and the New England Revolution will face each other on Wednesday, September 9.
Time
The game will start at 8:00 PM.
Location
The fixture will be at Citi Field in Flushing, Queens, New York.
How to watch
Fans can watch the match on Apple TV.
Weather
At the start of the game, it will be around 78 degrees, with a feels-like temperature of 81. It will be a little windy due to the 15-mph wind speed. However, gusts could reach about 30 mph. Partly cloudy skies will provide a dry night for those who attend the fixture in person.
Injury report
Drew Baiera (leg), Arnau Farnós (leg), Talles Magno (leg), Maxi Moralez (leg), Keaton Parks (leg), and Kai Trewin (leg) remain out for the matchup. The good news is that Hannes Wolf is back.
Players to watch
NYCFC fans should watch James Sands. He scored the goal that leveled the match in the last meeting with New England. But at the same time, he has been a strong defensive force regardless of whether he played as a center-back or defensive midfielder. The team will likely rely on him, and this could be another game that the NYCFC player will shine in. Plus, with the expectation of some family attending the match, he will want to outplay his brother.
That is why the Revolution’s Will Sands is the other player to watch. He is having a stellar campaign, which is clearly his best season yet. He has turned into an everyday starter as his team’s left-back and has been a terror on the left side with his defensive work. The Boys in Blue struggled against him last time, so it would not be shocking for the same thing to happen again.
Prediction
The Pigeons need a little luck and positivity. While it makes sense to realistically say the fixture will end in a draw, the prediction is that NYCFC will win 3-2 thanks to a goal in stoppage time. Thiago Martins or Sands will score from a corner kick, and the winless streak will finally be over.
