NYCFC ends the road trip in another draw, sharing the points with Orlando City SC

New York City FC played their fourth and final road game of their long road trip.  This was also the last Major League Soccer match before the season pauses for the Leagues Cup.  Therefore, the Pigeons wanted to end this period on a high note.

After an exciting draw to Atlanta United FC on Wednesday, NYCFC entered the Sunshine State seeking to get their only win on the road trip and beat Orlando City SC for the third game in a row.  They won 4-2 in the opposite fixture and the Lions were struggling at home this season.  At the same time, Orlando won their last four matches.

Nick Cushing knew this would be a difficult challenge, so it probably explains why he rested Thiago Martins and Santiago Rodríguez midweek and started them on Saturday.  At the very least, he had Tayvon Gray back, but he started on the bench.  Still, one can argue he put out a strong Starting XI that gave NYCFC a chance.

In the end, NYCFC and Orlando City shared the points in a 1-1 draw.  This was the third draw in a row.  It is not the worst result when one looks at the fixture from a singular lens.  The result is difficult to accept because this means the Pigeons only earned three points of 12 from their road trip.

NYCFC and Orlando City end the night in a 1-1 draw

Originally, everyone thought NYCFC was going to put out a 4-3-3 lineup.  Cushing surprised everyone by bringing Justin Haak into the backline.  Instead, the fans saw a 3-4-3 lineup.  Rodríguez started on the wings but moved into the center-attacking midfield often to help move the ball up the pitch.  Having the fullbacks play higher was also supposed to help with the possession.  It was easy to see what the head coach was thinking, but truthfully a 4-3-3 might have been the way to go. This was not their best performance.

Compared to the Atlanta match, NYCFC kept Orlando City out of goal in the first half.  However, their play was not as strong.  The home team controlled the game with both possession and offense.  The Lions only had a slight edge shot-wise, for they had four shots compared to the Pigeons’ two.  It was a lackluster 45 minutes that left fans watching from home wanting more.  Perhaps their full focus was not on the team.

The second half started much better for the Bronx side.  They came out with more energy and looked threatening.  The difference though was they gave up the first goal in the 52nd minute.  The recently hot Ramiro Enrique scored the opener after Matt Freese fell to the ground going the opposite way.  This was a mistake by the keeper, but the goal was still a good one.

Alas, Orlando made their own mistake not too long after.  They gave up the ball, which allowed Rodríguez to intercept.  He sent the ball to Alonso Martínez, who sent it to Hannes Wolf.  The Austrian player had some space and sent the ball into the bottom left corner of the goal in the 57th minute.  It helped that Pedro Gallese went down too quickly, so the ball was able to go over his foot.

From that point on, the two teams shared their periods of better play and chances.  It helped that Freese continued his fantastic play, making four saves.  There were some moments when the backline was vulnerable, with some shaky mistakes made.  Others cleaned up the mistakes, but there was no question NYCFC was lucky to not give up more goals. 

Cushing’s substitute choices were not as impactful this time around either.  Notably, the two super-subs from the Atlanta game, Maxi Moralez and Talles Magno, were quieter on the night.  In fact, Magno had to play as a striker for about ten minutes before moving to the wings where he belonged when Mounsef Bakrar came on.  That was shocking to see, for everyone thought the club was done with that.

Unfortunately, NYCFC could not find a second goal.  As mentioned, the result means that the Pigeons ended the road trip with only three points.  At least they are earning draws now, which could be a difference-maker later in the season.  It was not the wanted result though; three points were needed.