With a crowd of 7,417 at Red Bull Arena there was something different about the New York City FC as the second match of the Leagues Cup 2023 went underway.
It was a new look roster as Head Coach Nick Cushing made the bold choice to start newly signed forward Monsef Bakrar, and that immediately paid dividends as the pace of the game, the passing and everything all just came together for the Boys in Blue.
Seeing the way that the team played, with energy, heart and hustle it was almost as if they found the piece that they have been missing. Those in attendance were in for a treat in watching Bakrar connect with the rest of his teammates.
Bakrar instantly got the offense going just by making one attempt at the 5′, even though that was saved, it just felt like the team rallied behind their new teammate and kept the offensive attack going from them.
NYCFC then saw a great opportunity by Andres Jasson in the 9′, before some back-and-forth action on the field.
Then eventually a great combination by Santi Rodriguez to Maxime Chanot was headed in, as NYCFC scored the first goal of the match, much to the elation of the support group that was at Red Bull Arena.
For Chanot, the goal was his second of the season, and the sixth of his NYCFC career, and it is great to see Maxime being a part of the offensive contributions.
Fans are encouraged to check out the following photos from the match. Taken by: Stacy Podelski/1495Sports:
Toronto FC fans are encouraged to check out the following video featuring thoughts from Toronto FC Interim Head Coach Terry Dunfield:
Goalkeeper Matt Freese shares these thoughts after helping to lead the team to the clean sheet:
From there an attempts by Rodriguez and Braian Cufré eventually led to NYCFC having so much momentum, that they scored their second goal, as Bakrar at the 45′ showed off some video game moves for his first goal with the club.
Shortly after that in stoppage time Rodriguez, was rewarded for his hustle and fine play with his first goal of the night as he netted a right footed shot for the 3-0 lead.
Going into the Half with the fans at Red Bull Arena pinching themselves over the fact that their team had hopefully awoken from their slumber, started to rock the Arena in creating a great atmosphere for the rest of the night.
The momentum for the Boys in Blue continued on a Jasson goal at the 56′, before the night got capped off by the second goal of the evening for Rodriguez.
Andres is a feel-good story on the team, as he signed on as a homegrown player. The tally for Jasson is a bit of a milestone, as it marks the third occasion in the last four matches where an NYCFC homegrown player has scored.
Santi thanks to his two goals and overall great hustle got a warm reception by the fans and the Coaching staff when he was subbed for in the 78′, thanks to his overall play he was rewarded with the Man of the Match, as he was definitely a huge difference maker for the squad.
For Rodriguez, the brace the second of his NYCFC career.
Another big performance came from Goalkeeper Matt Freese, as he made his fourth-ever start, Matt did an incredible job in the cage, as he showed a ton of emotion in communicating with the rest of his teammates, and got his first clean sheet with the club.
Even though it feels as if with the victory there was a huge weight lifted off the club, the match versus the Toronto is just the start; as the guys have been on a bit of a rollercoaster as of late. Can this new look NYCFC team be the type of team that Head Coach Nick Cushing believes can find results? Only time can tell.
Thanks to the NYCFC victory the guys currently await what the next step is in the League Cup tournament, the advancement for the Boys in Blue depends on the result of the upcoming match between Atlas FC and
Toronto FC that is set to happen on July 30. Till that time the guys await their next MLS Regular Season match on August 20, scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m.
For more information on New York City FC fans are encouraged to click on the link seen here:
For more information on the Leagues Cup 2023 fans are encouraged to click on the link seen here: