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MLS New York City FC

Keys to the Match: Midweek Meeting

August 24, 2023 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
New York City FC News Release


New York City Football Club are on the road this weekend as the take on FC Cincinnati.

The Boys in Blue kickoff at 7:30PM ET in Ohio.

Here are the Keys to the Match, presented by Ford...

Midweek Meeting

It's a busy seven days for FC Cincinnati.

Sunday saw them participate in the Hell is Real derby with Columbus Crew, a game in which they fell to a 3-0 defeat. Fast forward to Wednesday night and the Lions hosted Lionel Messi and Inter Miami CF in a U.S. Open Cup semi-final. An enthralling encounter saw a 3-3 result after 120 minutes, and Miami advance on penalties.

The week concludes with the visit of Nick Cushing's NYCFC, in what could best be described as hectic, that could be the ideal environment for the Boys in Blue to steal in grab three points. They've had some solid results at TQL Stadium - most notably the 4-4 draw in 2022.

NYCFC have certainly had to balance the demands of multiple competitions in the past, and now they may be the beneficiary of that come Saturday.

Options

One of the main benefits of a busy summer window for NYCFC is that the team now has greater depth across the field.

While Nick Cushing utilized several of his new faces on Sunday against Minnesota United, he still has Alonso Martinez to call upon this weekend should he wish.

The Costa Rican international is a pacey forward with a bag of tricks, and when added alongside Julián Fernández, Monsef Bakrar, Birk Risa, Maxi Moralez, Andreas Perea, will hand NYCFC the opportunity to rotate and change things this weekend if they wish.

Depth and competition are ideal components when trying to push a group to the next level, and the Boys in Blue have strengthened that aspect of the squad significantly.

Opportunity

NYCFC know they are heading on the road with a tough test ahead.

FC Cincinnati have the best home form in MLS in 2023, having collected 34 points from a possible 36. Pat Noonan's side will feel confident heading into the weekend and rightly so, but the beauty of soccer is the potential for the unpredictable.

NYCFC have already pulled off a road surprise when they took a win from CF Montréal earlier in the season, and they know that the chance to do something similar in Ohio would not only send a message to the teams around them, but also provide a significant boost of confidence heading into the last run of games.

The numbers from the game against Minnesota United showed NYCFC they were in the ascendancy during the game, and unlucky to emerge without the points, and if luck can swing their way at TQL Stadium they could have a memorable road trip to show for it.

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