QUEENS, NY – On a rainy Saturday night from Citi Field, Sporting KC and NYCFC play to a 0-0 draw with both sides finding opportunities on goal but failing to break through.
Sporting KC and NYCFC play to a 0-0 draw at Citi Field
Goalkeepers keep first half score even
With Valentín “Taty” Castellanos reportedly out following an injury, it would be Sporting KC earning the first shot on goal of the match in the 2-minute. As the ball rolled back to SKC goalkeeper Tim Melia, a big boot for Dániel Sallói would be misplayed in the wind and rain by NYCFC defender Thiago Martins. Sallói would win the battle with a one-time shot on goal fired from outside the box but hit within reach of goalkeeper Sean Johnson who parried it out for a corner.
The corner, taken by Rémi Walter, would float near post and headed on by Kortne Ford flew just wide of Sean Johnson’s far post.
NYCFC would battle back in the 7-minute as Héber played Tayvon Gray down the right wing and into space. With one touch and time, Gray curved an excellent pass to a breaking Keaton Parks who slid into the box to knock the ball on goal but pushed it wide.
Things settled down until the 34-minute as Parks won the ball back in the midfield and played it to Santiago Rodríguez flying towards goal. Dribbling around Kortne Ford with a cut inside the box, Rodríguez had a tough one-on-one opportunity saved expertly by Melia and eventually played out for an NYCFC corner.
The first half would end with Kansas City’s Uri Rosell picking off a pass in the midfield and one touching the ball to Johnny Russell on the left wing in the 40-minute. With Sallói finding space between Thiago Martins and Alexander Callens, it would take a great save from Sean Johnson pushed off the post to keep the score even.
A big stop from the captain to keep us level ✋ @SeanJohnGK pic.twitter.com/lcXGP9Fa5E
— New York City Football Club (@NYCFC) May 8, 2022
Sporting KC and NYCFC play to a 0-0 draw
The first opportunity of the second half would come from NYCFC in the 53-minute as Rodríguez received the ball in the center circle and played a pass to Talles Magno breaking down the left wing. After catching up to the pass, Magno played it back to Rodríguez at the edge of the area for a shot from distance that curled just wide of Melia’s net.
NYCFC would follow this up in this 54-minute with Keaton Parks switching the field and finding Chris Gloster. With one touch and a cross, the ball would bounce around the penalty spot and fall for what looked to be a wide-open Talles Magno. But with a reaching effort, it would be SKC’s Robert Voloder just blocking the shot before a clearance from Rosell to keep the scoreline at 0-0.
Sporting KC would fire back in the 75-minute with Johnny Russell receiving the ball on an SKC advantage and driving towards the box. About 5-6 yards outside it, a shot launched by Russell and deflected by Callens would force Sean Johnson to make a quick adjustment to catch the ball despite the deviation.
Now NYCFC would answer in the 76-minute with the team’s closest chance of the match as Alfredo Morales played an excellent ball to Gabriel Pereira in the left corner. With Pereira’s cross taking a slight deflection, the ball would find Keaton Parks making a well-timed run toward the box. Swinging with his left foot, Parks worked a shot inches wide of the left post halting a potential late lead for New York City.
The match would end with a 90-minute free kick for NYCFC played short to Thiago Andrade and laid off to Maxi Moralez. On a cross from Moralez, the initial opportunity was cleared by SKC but fell just outside the box to Pereira for a shot that ran through the defense right into the palms of Melia.
Last Word: Taty was heavily missed but SKC worked their game plan to perfection
NYCFC’s lack of offensive output with Taty Castellanos missing his first game of the season was on full display as the Pigeons had several opportunities that should have given them a lead. Particularly against a Western Conference opponent that’s been struggling of late, NYCFC needed to show some more on the offensive end and secure those goals but it would be fair to say the weather conditions played a role.
That being said, Sporting KC head coach Peter Vermes had a game plan and his players implemented it almost perfectly, effectively smothering NYCFC throughout the duration of the matchup. They even managed to challenge Sean Johnson with a few shots who was the Player of the Match. If not for him NYCFC would have gone home without any points on the night.
