{"id":45022,"date":"2022-09-18T20:13:56","date_gmt":"2022-09-19T00:13:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/soccer\/?p=45022"},"modified":"2022-09-18T20:13:56","modified_gmt":"2022-09-19T00:13:56","slug":"nycfc-looks-to-regain-form","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/soccer\/2022\/09\/18\/nycfc-looks-to-regain-form\/","title":{"rendered":"NYCFC looks to regain form with Hudson River Derby win"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><b>THE BRONX, NY &#8211; <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Saturday afternoon, NYCFC and the New York Red Bulls faced off at Yankee Stadium in this season\u2019s second rendition of the Hudson River Derby. With <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/soccer\/2022\/07\/18\/nycfc-prevail-over-nyrb\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">NYCFC emerging victorious back in July<\/a>, the Pigeons have again painted New York blue in a 2-0 win over the Red Bulls that seemed to help the home side finally regain some confidence and form. <\/span>It was a great win as NYCFC looks to regain form after winning two-straight wins.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">NEW YORK IS BLUE!!!! \ud83d\uddfd\ud83d\udd35 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/lBB5OVI62L\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/lBB5OVI62L<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; New York City FC (@newyorkcityfc) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/newyorkcityfc\/status\/1571213291770216451?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">September 17, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">NYCFC looks to regain form with back-to-back massive wins<\/span><\/h3>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Battling until the end during a feisty <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/HudsonRiverDerby?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#HudsonRiverDerby<\/a> \ud83d\udc51 <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/ForTheCity?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#ForTheCity<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/MiShLM1diZ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/MiShLM1diZ<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; New York City FC (@newyorkcityfc) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/newyorkcityfc\/status\/1571211182354186249?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">September 17, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After a ten-game stretch that had seen NYCFC manage just one win, two draws, and seven losses. They picked up a win over Mexico\u2019s Atlas in the Campeones Cup on Wednesday and after earning a win against their rivals at the weekend the club is in a far better position than they were just a week ago.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/standings\/2022\/conference#season=2022&amp;live=true\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">the Red Bulls have already clinched a spot in the MLS Cup Playoffs<\/a>, NYCFC\u2019s recent struggles have unfortunately made that same goal difficult to reach under head coach Nick Cushing. However, just one more win from two matches following the upcoming international break will see NYCFC claim a spot to defend their 2021 MLS Cup crown in this year&#8217;s playoffs and hopefully enter on a good run of form.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Is Callens one of the league\u2019s best defenders?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As he\u2019s done across his six seasons with the club, Alexander Callens played a key role in this matchup for NYCFC scoring a first-minute goal and defending a clean sheet as he earned the Man of the Match award. This was subsequently after his leading performance over Atlas in which Callens scored the opening goal of the match before working to secure a clean sheet as NYCFC won the Campeones Cup.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Your <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Heineken_US?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@Heineken_US<\/a> Man of the Match is <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Alexcallens06?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@Alexcallens06<\/a> \ud83c\udf1f\ud83c\uddf5\ud83c\uddea\ud83d\uddfd <\/p>\n<p> \ud83c\udfa8 by BIO Tats Cru <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/PR5C4mmLNi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/PR5C4mmLNi<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; New York City FC (@newyorkcityfc) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/newyorkcityfc\/status\/1571225563469156353?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">September 17, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While MLS isn\u2019t particularly known as a very strong defensive league, Callens has consistently stood out for the Pigeons even during stints of struggles this year and last. He\u2019s well adept on the field and is just as comfortable retreating in defense as he is carrying the ball forward into attack, and has been a hugely important part of NYCFC\u2019s set-piece tactics this season.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite, in my opinion, being one of the league&#8217;s most underrated defenders, Callens has shown over the past two matches once again why he is a top-tier player and contributor in MLS.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Parks looming could prove a big addition to New York City<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Marking his third return to action (second in league play) since having surgery back in June, while still not 100% according to himself, Keaton Parks&#8217; readdition could be huge for NYCFC heading into the last month of the season and beyond.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He\u2019s only totaled 27 minutes on the field since his return but if Parks can get back to 90-95 percent, his presence in the midfield would be exciting for a team that\u2019s been somewhat overrun as of late. He was a key piece of Ronny Deila&#8217;s squad prior to injury this year and throughout much of last season despite also battling injuries and could be a substantial contributor if he\u2019s healthy.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Welcome back @keaton_parks \ud83d\udc4f <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/HT0RK7D2MQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/HT0RK7D2MQ<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; New York City FC (@newyorkcityfc) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/newyorkcityfc\/status\/1568670585294655495?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">September 10, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Last Word: This could be the rebound NYCFC needed<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Two pretty big wins for NYCFC have seen the mood around the club completely change following a two-month slog of games and heading into an international break. Fans were quickly turning on new interim head coach Nick Cushing in the face of adversity but a cup win and a derby victory can ease any tensions within any soccer club.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">So in the matter of eleven days Nick Cushing went from snapping at reporters at press conferences to drinking beers with supporters post game. A trophy and derby win will have that effect on anyone. Enjoy that beer coach. <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/NYCFC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#NYCFC<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/mdx1OQ6c4E\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/mdx1OQ6c4E<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Blue City Radio (@BlueCityRadio) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BlueCityRadio\/status\/1571309840659619842?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">September 18, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Following the break, NYCFC will host Orlando City at Red Bull Arena on October 2 as the Pigeons try to clinch that playoff berth at last.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Photo Credit: <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NYCFC\/status\/1571211182354186249\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">New York City FC&#8217;s Twitter Account on September 17, 2022<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>THE BRONX, NY &#8211; Saturday afternoon, NYCFC and the New York Red Bulls faced off at Yankee Stadium in this season\u2019s second rendition of the Hudson River Derby. With NYCFC emerging victorious back in July, the Pigeons have again painted New York blue in a 2-0 win over the Red Bulls that seemed to help [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3973,"featured_media":45029,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[119,4,6],"tags":[936,4271,1965,3437,471,5038,4451],"class_list":["post-45022","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mls","category-nycfc","category-redbulls","tag-alexander-callens","tag-gerhard-struber","tag-hudson-river-derby","tag-keaton-parks","tag-mls-cup-playoffs","tag-nick-cushing","tag-santiago-rodriguez"],"modified_by":"Raheem Bashir, Site Manager","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/soccer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45022","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/soccer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/soccer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/soccer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3973"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/soccer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=45022"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/soccer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45022\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/soccer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/45029"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/soccer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=45022"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/soccer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=45022"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/soccer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=45022"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}