In New York city FC second test against the Chicago Fire it will be interesting to see how the team will rebound after their loss against Nashville.
While the anticipation and nerves start to build for matchday here are some interesting facts and figures for fans to read up on:
First up though is the team’s Pre-Match Press Conference as Head Coach Nick Cushing, Braian Cufré and Mitja Ilenič all shared these thoughts…video compliments of New York City FC
New York vs Chicago:
New York City FC and Chicago are no strangers in the world of Major League Soccer competition. The teams have been able to play each other frequently, with the all-time matchup favoring the Boys in Blue, as they have been able to win 10 of the 18 games. Thus far NYCFC has been able to record 30 goals against the Fire, which results in 1.66 goals per match.
Luis Barraza Thus far:
It has been a changing of the guard in the goalkeeper position, as Luis Barraza will have a chance to shine now for New York City FC. In the past Barraza has been outstanding in his time in the Net, as he was able to earn a start in the Campeones Cup vs FC Atlas on September 14, 2022, which helped to lift the team to a 2-0 victory. Barraza played well against Nashville, making quality saves and hopes to continue to build on that momentum in the match vs Chicago.
New Faces to watch for:
There will be many new stars looking to win over the hears of New York Fans, when they play in their first home Match on March 18. Tony Alfaro, Mitja Ilenic, Braian Cufré will all be ones to keep an eye out, and even have been able to play some positive minutes with the club thus far. In the match against Nashville, Cufre and Ilenic made their debuts and contributed to the team’s performance.
Cufre helped with the team’s possession of the ball, having a passing percentage of 75.8% and totaling seven duels, as for Ilenic, he has been able to have a passing percentage of 87.5% and made one duel in the eight minutes of playing time.
Welcome Back to New York Santiago Rodriguez:
In the breaking news of the day, New York City FC has been able to resign midfielder Santiago Rodriguez as the Designated player. Rodriguez who also played for Montevideo City Torque will be a part of the Boys in Blue squad through the 2027 season.
Rodriguez will be wearing the number 10 and will have a chance to start against Chicago tomorrow.
Sporting Director David Lee said: “We are excited to welcome Santi back to NYCFC on a permanent basis. Over the last two seasons Santi developed into one of the most impactful attacking players in MLS and quickly became a very important part of our group. He has an extremely bright future ahead of him and at just 23 years old, we know he will continue to develop and improve.”
“Bringing Santi back to the Club was a priority for us and we are delighted that we have been able to finalize this deal. We’re looking forward to welcoming him back into the group and supporting his development over the years ahead.”
Rodriguez joined the New York City FC roster in June 2021, and was able to make an impact scoring three goals and providing one assist across 21 regular season matches. Santi has been able to see a ton of quality minutes with the team and was able to play in all four playoff games in the team’s 2021 MLS Cup run, as he was able to score in the Eastern Conference Semis against New England.
Also here is information on the match itself:
Day: Saturday March 4, 2023
Kick Off- 8:39 p.m.
Location: Soldier Field-Chicago, IL
It will be interesting to see how the team responds to the next challenge against Chicago, will the newer faces along with the Veterans start to gel? What will the formation of the match be and who will be the offensive leaders from the match?
All of those questions and more will be answered on Saturday as the excitement of the Major League Soccer Season has just begun.
For more information on New York City FC fans are encouraged to click on the link seen here: