New York City FC recorded a goalless draw with the Chicago Fire on Saturday.
Both sides settled for a point with neither able to break the deadlock.
Here are Five Points from the game…
Close Encounter
The two sides went in all square at the break with very little separating the two sides on the stat sheet.
The two sides were level on shots taken and expected goals, while City had the advantage in terms of possession. Things didn’t change drastically in the second period, with both teams ultimately forced to settle for a point.
That wasn’t quite how City hoped it would go before arriving in the Windy City, but a point on the road is not always something to be disappointed with.
First Start
Christian McFarlane made his first start for City on Saturday and came out of the game with a clean sheet to his name.
The defender’s ability on both sides of the ball is a major asset. Nick Cushing has been very complimentary about McFarlane’s ability, and the defender will only benefit from gaining more MLS experience.
“I thought he was excellent,” Nick Cushing said. “I thought he showed his quality; his physical quality and his technical quality. I think he showed the potential to be a top left-back anywhere in the world.
“He is a guy that can play week in week out. I think he showed that today. I think he showed maturity for a guy that's only [previously] come into a game at home against Columbus. To go on the road and play 90 minutes in a game where we didn't play so well.”
Congratulations on your first start in MLS Christian, hopefully it’s the first of many!
Growth
Nick Cushing has been consistent in discussing the process and this team’s journey toward their goals.
That growth was well-represented in Saturday’s result. City’s last two road games saw them suffer defeat. The players and staff were frustrated with key elements of both games, but against the Fire, they showed growth.
Cushing was keen to highlight his team’s resilience and maturity in securing a point on the road in difficult surroundings.
Flagged
City thought they’d claimed a vital goal in the final ten minutes after great play by Santiago Rodríguez and Mounsef Bakrar.
Bakrar’s movement and finish were top-class and worthy of winning a game, but unfortunately, the assistant referee’s flag denied him a memorable moment.
Those fine margins were a theme of the evening, and although it wasn’t to be tonight, it showed the kind of quality City have in the final third.
Clean Sheet
Nick Cushing praised his team’s resilience and maturity after Saturday’s draw in Chicago.
City came into the contest having suffered a defeat last time out, and it was important to produce a better defensive display. They did that by keeping a clean sheet and they can take confidence from that heading into two tricky road games this week.
