NYCFC must win at least two games on upcoming road trip

New York City FC just finished a three game home stand, and should be proud of what they accomplished.  A draw against Atlanta United FC, and then wins against Nashville SC and FC Dallas means that the Pigeons are currently in fourth place in the Eastern Conference.  More importantly, they earned seven of the possible nine points while at home.

Now, the team heads on the road for four Major League Soccer games in a row.  The U.S. Open Cup matchup has not been decided yet, and that could break up the time away from home.  But for this purpose, the focus will be on the MLS fixtures. 

NYCFC must win a few games on the upcoming road trip

As many know, New York City FC struggles on the road.  They need to reverse these struggles in order to stay near the top of the table.  So, what does the team have to do?  Ideally, they would shock the MLS world and win all four games.  Realistically, it would be a decent road trip, and somewhat successful, if the Pigeons could win at least two matches. 

Truthfully, it is possible to do so.  NYCFC will play Toronto FC, Charlotte FC, the New Jersey Red Bulls, and Orlando City SC.  Currently, all four teams sit in 9th place or below, and both Toronto and the Red Bulls have just one win.  Notably though, those two sides have the majority of the points off of draws, with Toronto leading the league with six.

Moreover, the Pigeons seem to be on the right path in the goal scoring department.  That being said, the road will aid with a concrete answer, both with whether the players found their goal-scoring boots, and whether they can conquer the road woes.  If they can score though, then they win on the road.  Defensively the team is pretty strong, so the answer lies with the attack. 

Likely, the biggest test will be the trip to Orlando.  NYCFC has been known to struggle at Exploria Stadium, and has only managed two wins there in all competitions.  Overall, the Lions have been a tough side to beat, and Orlando has the edge in all competitions.  Yet, in MLS, both teams have seven wins, and they share the eight draws. 

Of course, NYCFC cannot look at the table completely, for they are only separated by four to seven points between the four teams.  Plus, for the latter two away games, the difference could be less or nonexistent.  That is why it is necessary to continue preparing every match like the team will play against the best in MLS. 

But if New York City FC can find a way, and end the road trip with at least two wins, then, based on their road woes, it can be declared a successful stint away from home.