The last time New York City FC played Sporting Kansas City, Ike Opara scored the winning goal for Sporting KC and picked up another season ending injury. This time, Opara scored the goal that put the nail in the coffin for NYCFC and walked off to a standing ovation. This was NYC’s third game in seven days, but Sporting KC dominated in every sense of the word. New York City might be in an upswing and at the top of the eastern conference, but Sporting have hit their stride and this was a clinic.
Missing Dom Dwyer to yellow card accumulation and Graham Zusi to injury (he warmed up but knew he couldn’t play), Brad Davis and Diego Rubio got the start. Matt Besler was also on the sideline, leaving Lawrence Olum and Opara together at the back. This lineup might have worried some, but they were dominate from the first whistle to the last.
NYCFC manager Patrick Vieira said knew his side was in for a rough match.
“We played against a team who were better than us…It’s not an easy place to come. It is more difficult…I think we were second in everything.”
Benny Feilhaber opened the scoring in the eighth minute. Thanks to RJ Allen keeping him onside, he was there to tap in the rebound from the post.
Almost every goal against SKC this season has come off a silly mistake. Even with their control of this game, Opara and Olum gave the ball away and Frank Lampard made no mistakes to score the resulting equalizer. This was Sporting’s one and only slip up.
The entire attack linked up on a lot of quick one-twos and Rubio created a lot of problems with his runs at NYCFC’s backline. Benny Feilhaber had more than one precise backheel flick pass to a runner in the box. Roger Espinoza ran circles around Andrea Pirlo and Lampard in the midfield. Jimmy Medranda created havoc with his runs up the side and won the lead with well-placed rocket from outside the box, a shot he said he knew was going in the minute it left his foot.
Sporting manager Peter Vermes said he knew they’d be the dominate team from the very first play of the game. They planned to stifle the star New York DPs, and they executed that plan to perfection. Espinoza ran circles around Pirlo. Lampard did score but was otherwise kept quiet. David Villa picked up a yellow card and that was the sum of his performance.
“I think we’re getting back to our DNA. I said that last game and I say it again. What’s happening is we’re getting in a place where our decision making is becoming better and better. Our transition moments in the game are better and better. And that’s what’s leading to, I think, the goals and the opportunities that we’re creating in each half.”
In spite of being up 3-1 by the 51st minute, SKC did not let up their attack. They were aggressive and physical, committing 17 fouls. They had eight shots to New York’s two at the end of the first half. At full time, SKC had 19 to their four. SKC also had 66% possession to 33% for NYC. The end of July and August will bring tough schedules for Sporting, but if this form continues, they should power through.
Main Photo: Peter G. Aiken, Getty Images
