NYCFC Takes Wild Victory over Chicago Fire
Published on March 6, 2016 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
New York City FC News Release
It was a winning start to the Patrick Vieira era at Toyota Park on Soccer Sunday.
In a day of firsts for New York City FC on the opening day of their second MLS campaign, they took a white knuckle seven-goal thrill ride 4-3.
Against a Chicago Fire side that finished bottom of the Eastern Conference in 2015 and under a new Head Coach in Veljko Paunovic themselves, NYCFC warmed to the task quickest and immediately set about putting Matt Lampson's goal under pressure.
This attack start yielded its reward on nine minutes when Vieira's side punished Lampson's miscued clearance in stunning style courtesy of McNamara's 20-yard goal - the midfielder opening up his body and arcing the ball around the stranded goalkeeper.
However, this lead would only last for nine minutes as CociÙ leveled on 19', latching onto a clever chip over the New York backline by Arturo Alvarez and slotting past the onrushing Josh Saunders.
Tony Taylor restored NYCFC's advantage just before the half an hour mark, pivoting and firing off a snapshot which found the bottom corner of the net and it got even better ten minutes before the interval when Khiry Shelton showed his lightning pace to reach onto Mix Diskerud's through ball and poked the ball under the goalkeeper.
That two-goal advantage would only last for three second half minutes as Kennedy Igboananike reduced the deficit after David Accam capitalized on some indecisive defending and gave his fellow forward a tap-in.
Just as Chicago were working through the gears and threatening a second equalizer, Diskerud fired in the best goal of game on the 62' - an excellent volley from McNamara's assist.
Shelton's handball allowed Accam to pull Fire back to within a goal of NYCFC from the penalty spot with 20 to go but Vieira's side closed ranks and held out for a deserved win.
(via NYCFC.com: http://www.nycfc.com/post/2016/03/06/new-york-city-fc-chicago-fire-recap)
NOTES
- Tommy McNamara scored the first goal of the 2016 MLS season in the 10th minute of play.
- The goal by McNamara in the 10' would have been the 4th-earliest goal in any match for NYCFC in MLS 2015 (via OptaJack).
- McNamara had 1 goal and 2 assists in 90 minutes of work.
- It was the first time New York City FC has ever scored three goals in the first half of an MLS match.
- It was also the first time NYCFC has ever beaten Chicago Fire - they drew and lost the two meetings in 2015.
- Mix Diskerud has scored in both of New York City FC's two season opening matches - he scored the first ever goal in Club history away to Orlando City last season.
- NYCFC and Chicago Fire were the only two MLS teams to have changed Head Coach in the off-season.
- Tony Taylor scored his first ever goal for New York City FC in his first game back from last season's injury and his first ever start for the Club.
- Khiry Shelton's goal means he has already matched his tally of strikes from last season.
QUOTES
Patrick Vieira, New York City FC Head Coach
On the team's performance:
"I think it was a really good team performance. I strongly believe we are not at our best at the moment because it was the first game of the league. We will get better and stronger. But I am proud of the team because when we went to a difficult [formation] especially in the last 15-20 minutes, we stuck together and we worked hard."
On what impressed him most:
"That we stuck to our philosophy, the way we want to play football. I think at times we played some really good football. I think our play from the back was good. We created chances and that's the way we want to play this year. I was really pleased with that."
On the team playing a wide open game:
"That was the type of game I was expecting because when I look at Chicago Fire, the games they played in the preseason, we saw a well organized team. Those were the type of game we were expecting - difficult games. Both teams I think worked really hard today and we managed to come out on top. That was good. It wasn't easy and I am sure that if we keep working hard we will go really well this year."
New York City FC Midfielder Thomas McNamara
On his first goal and first team goal of the season:
"I don't even remember how I got the ball but I knew that I had enough time and space to take a touch and wrap my foot around it and hit it back post. When it came off my foot, I just knew that it went in."
On whether it's one of his best goals scored:
"Last year was pretty close. Maybe a little further out but the same type of shot."
On exploiting the space the Fire were giving up in the midfield:
"We want to have good spacing on the field. And so as a midfielder, you need to find that space to get the ball to the rest of the guys."
On what he saw from the Fire defense that he was able to attack:
"I thought when we were able to switch the ball we were able to expose them a little bit and it gave us a bit of an advantage. I think that was when we were most dangerous."
Major League Soccer Stories from March 6, 2016
- Coelho Lifts Sporting KC over Seattle Sounders FC - Sporting Kansas City
- Impact Defeats Whitecaps FC 3-2 in 2016 Season Opener - Club de Foot Montreal
- Timbers Open 2016 Season with 2-1 Victory over Columbus Crew SC - Portland Timbers
- Houston Dynamo Open 2016 Season with 3-3 Draw - Houston Dynamo FC
- NYCFC Takes Wild Victory over Chicago Fire - New York City FC
- Union Fall to FC Dallas in 2016 MLS Season Opener - Philadelphia Union
- FC Dallas Downs Philadelphia Union 2-0 - FC Dallas
- Real Salt Lake Opens 2016 MLS Campaign with Disappointing 2-2 Draw at Orlando - Real Salt Lake
- Deja Vu All over Again: Last Minute Heroics Secure Crucial Point vs. Real Salt Lake - Orlando City SC
- New York Red Bulls Fall to Toronto FC, 2-0, on Opening Day - New York Red Bulls
- Orlando City Captain Kaká to miss Home Opener with Thigh Strain - Orlando City SC
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