(Editorial) – There were songs. There were chants. There were tears and fears and the gnashing of teeth. The name of the referee, the city of Chicago and even the good Lord himself was taken in vain. There were television cameras and klieg lights and beer and wings and a mighty good craic at the Irish Playwright on 35th street. For the Third Rail was out in voice, if not actually out in Bridgeport, Illinois, to cheer on NYCFC as they played their opening match of the 2016 season against the Chicago Fire.
And somehow, there was a win. A win against a team the club took but one point from in two matches last year. Worse than that, a team they actually embarrassed themselves against the last time they made the trek to Toyota Park.
But that’s all ancient history, right? Let the dead bury the dead, and let us celebrate the living – especially when we have so many things to be positive about. Like two absolute bona fide highlight reel goals.
Let’s start with Tommy McNamara’s golazo, a stunning curving thing of beauty which careened in off the post leaving even Matt Lampson staring, like the rest of us, in wonder and disbelief (welcome to Chicago, Matt). A goal which not only led off the scoring for the game and for NYCFC but was the first goal in MLS this season and sets a high standard for goal of the year honors.
As does Mix Diskerud’s beautiful half-volley into the near corner in the second half. A goal that reminded us all of what Mix is capable of and what we were expecting out of him in 2015.
And let us not forget the other two, which, while aided by some clownshow defending by the Chicago Fire, showed focus, determination and fight by both Khiry Shelton and Tony Taylor.
And goals aside, hats off to the man in the net, Josh Saunders who kept NYCFC in the game numerous times, and gave up the body at the end of the second half on a brutal play, a play that he knew was gonna end in pain. Look, anyone who ends a match with a torn jersey is a player I want on my starting XI.
But…
Lest we get carried away by the win and thus the road 3 points (a three points New York didn’t get last year until June in Philly), let’s remember a couple of things.
First, that this was the Chicago Fire they were playing. The worst team in MLS last year – and based on their play Sunday, prime candidates for the #1 pick in next year’s SuperDraft too.
Their back line is woeful. Disorganized. Confused. Consistently out of position. I loved Khiry Shelton’s run as much as anyone else, but decent defending shuts that down. McNamara’s feed of Mix was a thing of beauty, but no way he should have been able to dribble into the box like that in the first place and set Mix up. And while I was overjoyed to see Taylor showing us all we didn’t have last year – he beat two Fire defenders – one of whom kicked the other in the head.
I know, I know, “they don’t count how, they count how many”, and I’ll take that goal (as I’m sure Tony will), but almost any other back line in MLS and Tony doesn’t get to take that shot.
And speaking of back lines.
Oh dear lord in heaven. Are fans in for another season like last year? Because it certainly looks that way. How many times did the Fire beat the off-side trap and run right by the defense? Which wouldn’t be half as frustrating if that hadn’t been exactly their strategy the previous two times NYCFC played them. Did no one show Vieira the tapes of those games? And yes, Matarrita showed promise – his speed and comfort on the attack tagged him as this year’s Angelino (only with fewer tattoos and more, you know, height). But boy, did Frederic Brillant have an unfortunate debut. If he couldn’t handle Accam and Igboananike, what’s he going to do about Giovinco? Or Sam?
Look, the club got three points and are happy to have them. But they squeaked out a win against the worst team in the league, and that’s not what good teams do. Good teams don’t give up three goals to the Fire. Don’t have a backline that’s in disarray. Don’t have their fans sitting on the edge of their seats after the 70th minute worrying that they’ll give it all away.
Good teams make progress year over year. They also make progress game over game. Sunday NYCFC play the team many think will take the cup this year.
Talk to me after that.
Main PhotoL Jonathan Daniel, Getty Images
