The regular season schedule returned for New York City FC. They hosted the Chicago Fire in Queens after their Leagues Cup exit. While it was disappointing, the team built good momentum throughout the tournament. If the team wanted to shake off the defeat, Chicago was the perfect rival to have a fresh start ahead of the season’s final stretch.
The match aimed to be one-sided from the start. New York City brought out their best XI against a Chicago side that was out of action for nearly a month. Alonso Martinez was given the starting position after his performance against Columbus. He was joined by Freece, Maxi Moralez, and Thiago Martins as the team’s core members. New York took advantage of the competition mileage behind them to take control of the game. Alonso Martinez picked up where he left off and opened the sore within 15 minutes.
The striker created space for himself and curved the ball into the back of the net. It was the perfect start for Martinez as he continues to battle for a spot in the starting lineup with Bakrar. New York City would find another goal in the 22nd minute. A good link-up between Santiago Rodriguez and Keaton Parks left Alonso Martinez with an open shot in front of goal. The Costa Rican smashed the ball into the back of the net and practically sealed the match for New York. But as they say, it’s not over until it’s over.
Chicago was true to their game plan, giving up possession but well aware that they would go all out in the game’s final minutes. It was not a bad game plan, but the risk of conceding more goals was a chance worth taking. New York continued to dominate the game but stopped attacking. Most of us know that a 2-0 scoreline is very tricky to manage, so you have to score a third to secure the result. New York felt like they had enough control and decided to finish the game with a more defensive approach.
Chicago Fire capitalized on New York’s tactical switch fairly quickly. Not having Maxi Moralez on the field could have also contributed to their push in the final minutes. One way or another, his movements without the ball tend to be far more lethal than many expect. Julian Fernandez stepped up to take his place but failed to have the impact the team needed. It was enough of a lifeline for Chicago’s comeback to play out. Hugo Cuypers would take a play off Alonso Martinez and find the back of the net with a curved shot. The match was back on the line with nearly 12 minutes left to play.
It was as if a script had been written for New York City, but it was taking a dark turn with Chicago’s late goal. Things did not improve from that point on as New York failed to hold on to the lead. In an unfortunate incident and already playing the additional minutes of the game, Chicago was awarded a penalty kick. Brian Gutierres stepped up to the spot and managed to beat Matt Freece. The comeback was complete, and it only took them 10 minutes to turn it around.
It’s one of those draws that feel like a loss, especially since New York City had control nearly the whole game, but as they say, possession is meaningless if you’re unable to score. The team once again failed to hold on to a lead and missed an opportunity to close the gap even more ahead of the top 4 finish in the conference. The team now has to regroup and focus on what comes ahead in this second half of the season. Hopefully, New York City will correct the mistakes made so they can have a rematch against Columbus Crew next week.