James Sands deserved the red card in the St. Louis game

On Saturday, New York City FC lost against St. Louis City SC. Throughout the fixture, they had some good play on the pitch. An extremely quiet offense and bad giveaways led to the team leaving with no points.

James Sand's red card was the correct call

In addition, James Sands ended with a red card in the 83rd minute. The midfielder was at first the victim of a foul by Chris Durkin. However, as he was falling, he lifted his legs toward the St. Louis player's body, kicking his abdomen area. Whether it was intentional is unknown. Regardless, it was a dangerous move by Sands.

Subsequently, he was sent off with a straight red card. The NYCFC player would have been sent off regardless, for the move itself was unquestionably a yellow. In that case, the yellow would have been his second, and it would have become a red card.

With that being said, Sands did create a dangerous play. Again, it is unknown whether it was intentional or the way he fell from the initial foul. He could have done more though to bring his legs down. The seriousness of the foul and the risk of injury was enough to elevate to a red card. Most NYCFC fans would probably agree the card was deserved.

It was also the icing on the cake after a tough night. The Pigeons had better play compared to the match against Charlotte FC. That did not matter afterward since they had one shot on target in eight shots. The offensive effort, or rather, lack of it, is concerning to watch. The players should be doing better as well. NYCFC has a roster where they should be an attacking threat. Instead, they are showing others early on that they are a side that can easily be beaten when on the road.

Thankfully, the Bronx side is returning for their home opener next weekend. However, concerns about the attacking third remain. Sands will not be available for the game either. Spirits are dampened before NYCFC can take their first kick at Yankee Stadium in 2024.