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MLS New York City FC

Notes & Quotes: New York City FC 4 - 1 Atlanta United FC

September 25, 2019 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
New York City FC News Release


SUMMARY

New York City FC 4 - 1 Atlanta United FC

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

2019 MLS Regular Season - Game 32

Attendance: 24,290

LINEUPS

New York City FC: Sean Johnson; Sebastien Ibeagha, Maxime Chanot, Alex Callens, Ronald Matarrita; Tony Rocha, Alex Ring, Maxi Moralez; Alexandru Mitriță (63' Héber), Valentin Castellanos (90'+1' Justin Haak), Ismael Tajouri-Shradi (87' Jesus Medina)

SUBS UNUSED: Brad Stuver, Ben Sweat, Eric Miller, Juan Pablo Torres

Atlanta United FC: Brad Guzan, Franco Escobar (82' Dion Pereira), Miles Robinson, Leandro Gonzalez Pirez, Florentin Pogba; Emerson Hyndman, Eric Remedi (69' Mohammed Adams), Darlington Nagbe; Hector Villalba (71' Justin Meram), Brandon Vazquez, Gonzalo Martinez

SUBS UNUSED: Alec Kann, Michael Parkhurst, Jeff Larentowicz, Julian Gressel

SCORING SUMMARY

14' - NYC - Alexandru Mitriță (Assisted By: Ismael Tajouri-Shradi)

23' - NYC - Alexandru Mitriță (Assisted By: Maxi Moralez)

34' - NYC - Alexandru Mitriță

53' - ATL - Gonzalo Martinez (Penalty)

87' - NYC - Héber

DISCIPLINE SUMMARY

27' - ATL - Florentin Pogba (YC - Unsporting Behavior)

33' - NYC - Alex Ring (YC - Unsporting Behavior)

36' - NYC - Tony Rocha (YC - Unsporting Behavior)

45'+2' - ATL - Leandro Gonzalez Pirez (YC - Unsporting Behavior)

52' - NYC - Maxime Chanot (YC - Unsporting Behavior)

56' - ATL - Eric Remedi (YC - Unsporting Behavior)

71' - NYC - Valentin Castellanos (YC - Unsporting Behavior)

89' - ATL - Mohammed Adams (YC - Unsporting Behavior)

90'+3' - NYC - Ronald Matarrita (YC - Unsporting Behavior)

QUOTES

New York City FC Head Coach Doménec Torrent

On the secret to the team's success...

"We have very good players. I think that we have a certain style of play and we have all bought in, but without the players we couldn't have achieved anything. Bringing in the right players allowed us to play different, but it all comes down to the players...Without them we couldn't have achieved what we have this season."

On NYCFC playing their style against Atlanta tonight...

"I am happy with the players because this is our style... If you want to beat Atlanta, you have to be brave and today they had an outstanding performance and I am happy for that. I don't know what will happen in the playoffs, but right now I have a lot of confidence with this team."

His thoughts on Sebastien Ibeagha's performance tonight ...

"I am happy for Seb because he deserves it. He deserves to play every game. At training he's amazing, every single day he works hard ... it doesn't' matter if he has to play five minutes, 10 minutes, he's always ready to play."

Thoughts on Heber coming back from injury....

"It's good. It's very important for a player to come back and play after his injury, especially for striker to score. The most important thing is to arrive to the playoffs healthy."

New York City FC Forward Alexandru Mitriță

On the team's performance and hat trick...

"More important is the victory tonight, we played amazing and we have an amazing team. I'm very happy for my first hat trick."

On being the only player since David Villa to have a hat trick for NYCFC...

"David Villa is a top player, I can't compare with him. I want to do my best to do my job"

On helping the team get closer to clinching the Eastern Conference...

"It's important to get points. I was able to score three goals in front of our fans, it's incredible."

New York City FC Goalkeeper Sean Johnson

On today's mood of the team going in...

"We were honestly just focused on the result tonight and nothing else. For us, our destiny is in our hands and we knew if we came out and won this game it would give us a really shot at winning the East. That's what we set out to do and everything else is out of our control, but we did what we had to do tonight and it's a group that is hungry for more."

On whether this performance sends a message to the rest of the league...

"I think it's important, especially the games that we've strung together the past seven or eight games, not losing and winning the majority of our games, especially our home games. Coming off a tough game in Dallas and being able to bounce back really quickly and understanding how big of a game this was, so for us it was huge."

On how the team will handle the last two games...

"I think for us, we still have everything to play for in the next two games. We have some guys coming back and getting match fit, some guys are continuing to find their form and continue to stay in a good way. So, we'll approach the last two games in a professional manner and I think whoever steps out on the pitch in the last two games you're going to see the same thing--you're going to see a team that is hungry to win!"

New York City FC Defender Sebastien Ibeagha

On playing right back...

"There has been a couple discussions about it. I mean, I've played it in training before a couple of times and we've done possession drills and stuff like that and I've been out wide at right back. And so there has been some little discussions. Never anything too serious. And today was just one of those days were Anton [Tinnerholm] was out, so I had to step in and that's pretty much it."

Did you feel comfortable at right back...

"Yeah, for the most part I did. I think, like I said, our backline is great. So, we play off each other really well and we know our tendencies. So, it was very easy for us to kinda just be put in that position and also still play off of Maxi [Moralez] and [Alexander] Ring and the guys around."

Talk about the difficulties of switching from a right back to a center back...

"I think I only made one overlapping run today, so I think that's still something I need to get better at I guess in that position. But I mean, at the end of the day, it's defend first. That's the kind of mentality I have as a right back as well as a center back is to always defend first and from there, just keep pushing forward."

How big is the win as you head into the playoffs...

"I think it's big. I think knowing that everyone is positive and working together and that mentality going forward... Knowing that no matter what position were put in, we're going to go out and put in a good performance.

Atlanta United Head Coach Frank de Boer

On not winning the duels..

"I think you can already see the difference between first half and second half. It was exactly the same as in Atlanta. We were winning every duel when they played long, and now they were much sharper than us. In the second half you see, we were winning those duels and we had more of the control. Okay. Maybe in the last ten minutes maybe we were tired from putting that much pressure. But, in the second half we didn't have the problems anymore because we were winning those duels. In the first half we were every time too late, if they played long, every time the ball bounced for them. It is about reacting or anticipating, we were reacting in the first half and not anticipating. That is why I think the first three goals, it was like a long ball, more of a counterattack than a buildup. Of course, they play very offensive, we play very offensive so then it is about mentality and winning those duels. In the first half they were winning those duels and they created those chances. Of course, we had maybe the first two big chances in the beginning, I think Franco gave a good pass on the back line. Pity had a very good chance in the box. But still I saw directly after one minute, you know two duels, and I think 'hey if we are anticipating we are winning those duels' and they were winning it. It all comes down to that, it's my point of view.

On the performance

"We played a little bit different, but still against Chicago, before we even woke up, we were already three-nil down. Now it was not the case, but still, I had the same feeling, you know. There were too many players that weren't there in the first half. In the second half it was a whole different game. It was equal, it could go both sides, and this is what you want against a very good team of course."

On the adjustments at half time...

"I only said it was about the winning mentality. We want to play big games; this is a big game. So, you have to also play with a big mentality, and we didn't show that in the first half. We were winning those duels in Atlanta and that is why we won, it could have been six to one for us. And now they could have scored in the first half two or three more. Second half, it was equal, okay maybe in the last ten minutes they created some, but we had no problems anymore. It is all about that, winning your duels when it is a game like this. When a team drops deep, for example Cincinnati, that is a whole different approach. You have to be patient, but now you have to be on top, because if you lose your man, it can be one against one with the goalkeeper, so that mentality you have to show and we did not show it in the first 45 minutes.

Atlanta United Forward Brandon Vázquez

On his personal performance tonight...

"I feel like I wasn't satisfied with how I played. I feel like I could've done more. It was a fast game, there wasn't a lot of spaces, we got into their box a lot but there was some. Shots that I could've gotten on target that could've been vital for the game.

On if there is any pressure filling in for injured forward Joseph Martinez...

"No, not at all. I know what job I have to do, and I did it to the best of my abilities and I know my abilities. And I know that I am good and that I could do the job, so no, not really."

On his connection with midfielder Pity Martinez...

"Yeah, of course, we have a really good communication and we get along really well off the pitch. I think that helps a lot onto the pitch."

On heading on the road again to Montreal...

"We've got to keep our head up and get any many point as we can before the season ends and we head into the playoffs. So that is all were worried about and focusing on."

On the team mentality after conceding an early goal...

"Yeah, it has happened a couple of times, but we keep fighting until the 90th minute, nothing ever ends until the whistle is blown. I think we all have that warrior in us to keep fighting to the last minute."

On if this Atlanta United team is running out of gas...

"No, no I think we are still pushing through and right now were going full throttle for it even though we didn't have the result. I think we're still heading on a full head of steam."

Atlanta United Goalkeeper Brad Guzan

On the team's performance...

"We weren't good. We weren't good the moment we stepped on the pitch. They were better than us in every aspect of the game in the first half. We talked about it being a playoff game tonight. We talked about it being a real game. We talked about knowing they were going to come out flying in the first minute. We weren't good enough. The spacing was so big that they had so much time and space on the ball to play. We were chasing shadows. We didn't tackle. We didn't win balls in the air. We had two chances in the first half compared to their chances. They are a good team. We were nowhere near the same level as them."

On similar loses this season...

"It's a winning thing. Its mentality thing. You look at our record, the amount of wins that have come via clean sheets and the amount of wins that have come after we conceded goals. Not good enough. From a collective group. We concede one, heads drop, mentality goes."

On trying to finish the season strong...

"We need to have a serious look in the mirror. All of us. We play like this, it's going to be a short postseason. You can't play like this against good teams at any time. Now there's two games left in the season. We were playing for something tonight and we weren't good enough. Our job is to step on the field and perform. Our job is to stand up and be counted on. Find a way to get results. To grind. To fight."

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