3 things we learned from the dramatic 1-1 draw between NYCFC and D.C. United

New York City FC was on the road again this Saturday when they played against D.C. United.  The Pigeons wanted to rebound after their poor loss to the Columbus Crew before the international break.

Nick Cushing put out a strong Starting XI despite losing Birk Risa in the warmups.  Plus, Matt Freese was healthy to start.  There were severe injury fears after he was taken out in Columbus, but thankfully he just had an MCL sprain.  He has been valuable to the team all year, so having him between the sticks was expected to help them.

As a matter of fact, Freese had seven saves on the night to secure a 1-1 draw.  It was not the wanted result since NYCFC needed the win.  They have not won in Major League Soccer since the beginning of July, so now the concerns are becoming louder again.

This was a match full of VAR drama and high intensity.  Here are three things that we learned from the draw between NYCFC and D.C. United.

3 things we learned from the NYCFC draw

1. Thank you, Matt Freese

As mentioned, Freese was healthy enough to start, and NYCFC was lucky to have him between the sticks.  He had seven saves on the night, with four coming after the D.C. goal in the 67th minute.  The goalkeeper kept the Pigeons alive in the game because the home side became a different team once the score was leveled.

NYCFC was outplayed during the final 23 minutes plus stoppage time, struggling to create the opportunities to take the lead again.  If Luis Barraza had played, especially since he was poor in his appearances this season, then there is no question the Bronx side would have left with no points.

Yes, they should have scored a few more goals, especially in the first half.  Alas, that was not the case.  At least Freese secured the point.

2. VAR, NYCFC, and D.C.

While both NYCFC and D.C. scored via penalty kicks, there is no question VAR was the star of the show.  VAR was why the first D.C. goal was called off in the first half and why the home team received the penalty kick in the second.  They were all the correct decisions.  D.C. had a player offside with the first goal and James Sands committed the foul in the box to lead to the tying goal via a penalty kick.

On the other side of things, Alonso Martínez scored in the 45th minute, but the flag was immediately raised.  After watching the goal a few times, it appeared the offside call might have been incorrect, for the Costa Rican looked to be onside.  Yet, it was a close call.  VAR did not recommend the referee to review, and that was sadly also correct.  As much as fans would want to argue whether he was onside, the main part of VAR is clear and obvious.  Since the call did not fit under the category, then that means it rightfully stood.

It was nice to see VAR utilized properly.  Although, fans of NYCFC and D.C. would likely agree that was not the best performance by a referee.  A draw was not ideal, but it limited the game's controversial aspects.

3. Why did Nick Cushing take off Alonso Martínez?

NYCFC’s striker Martínez had a fantastic match last night.  If the flag had not been raised on that offside goal, then it likely would have counted due to the clear and obvious rule.  Regardless, he had two shots on the night.  It was the way he made himself available in the box and how he searched for teammates that made him one of the stronger players on the pitch.

Some thought a goal was close, and he was playing fantastically, but Cushing still took him out in the 66th minute.  This was slightly shocking, especially since the team had plenty of rest during the international break.

Was there a reason the NYCFC head coach took him out?  Did he think Mounsef Bakrar would be the better option for the rest of the match?  Truthfully, it was the wrong substitution to make.  Then again, a few moves by the head coach were questionable yesterday.