NYCFC ended their winless run on Saturday afternoon after beating the Chicago Fire 2-0 at SeatGeek Stadium.
The opening goal was a screamer. Too much space was afforded to Gabriel Pereira on the edge of the area, and he made the most of it, dribbling forward with the ball before blasting a shot into the top corner.
New York had the ball in the back of the net once again moments into the start of the second half when Santiago Rodríguez capitalized on a defensive turnover, but it didn’t look like the goal would stand at first. Rafael Czichos was clearly fouled during the giveaway, and it seemed like VAR was set to step in and wipe the strike off the board. However, the referee was never sent to the monitor, so the goal was ultimately given somehow.
Those two moments proved to be the difference for New York, who deserved to win when all was said and done. Their task was made a bit easier thanks to Chicago’s very flat showing, with the “hosts” failing to do much of anything on the afternoon.
All in all, this contest kind of went exactly how you would have expected it to.
Thoughts and observations and whatnot
It was an absolutely beautiful day in Bridgeview.
I had thought Arlo White was done doing commentary for Fire games. It wasn’t nice to see him back.
Xherdan Shaqiri cannot be as lazy as he was on the opening goal. He simply chose not to track his runner, and that runner ended up rifling the ball into the back of the net. It was an ugly moment for him, especially since he’s the Fire’s star man and alternate captain. That can’t happen again, and if it does then head coach Ezra Hendrickson will have to do something about it.
Chicago are back to being ugly again. They just never got going on the afternoon, especially going forward. They couldn’t create space for themselves, and they couldn’t carve out any real chances as a result. Everything was just meh. The likes of Xherdan Shaqiri, Chris Mueller, and Jairo Torres all disappointed, and that led to a very lackluster performance from the attack.
Speaking of Torres, it might be time to start worrying about him. Injuries limited him early on in his Fire career, which explained why he wasn’t doing much. That’s not the case anymore, though, as he’s been healthy for a while now. He’s just not a threat in the final third, whether it’s off the ball or on it. The still hope for the future, of course, but his showings this season have hurt the team.
Why in the world did Kacper Przybyłko start? I know he scored twice away to Charlotte FC, but he was woeful in Chicago’s last game versus the Philadelphia Union, and he’s been pretty poor all season. It was more of the same in this match, and it was no surprise to see him subbed off early on in the second half. That was the right call, but he shouldn’t have been on the field to begin with.
There’s no reason why NYCFC’s second goal should have been allowed. Rafael Czichos was clearly stepped on in the box, and that is why he lost the ball. The fact that the main referee didn’t see it at first is one thing, but VAR deciding not to step in is another calamity altogether. It was a terrible break for Chicago, and even though they did deserve to lose when all was said and done, that blown call didn’t help at all.
This game was further proof that the Fire needs to find a new stadium. By the end of this campaign they’ll have been forced out of Soldier Field for four games in the span of two years, and that’s simply unacceptable. You can’t be a serious club and not be able to use your home venue week in, week out. They’re stuck at the home of the Chicago Bears for the foreseeable future, though, which means that they need to find a solution fast.
Man of the match - Gabriel Pereira
Goals change games, and Gabriel Pereira’s opening goal was proof of that.
Until that point the contest was pretty up in the air. NYCFC were playing better, but they weren’t making much of their advantage. Chicago were staying in the game, and there was reason to believe that they would improve as the contest went on.
Then, in the blink of an eye, Pereira struck. He picked up the ball in the final third, drove forward with it, and then blasted an effort that flew into the back of the net past a relatively helpless goalkeeper. It was a moment of magic, and it proved to be the matchwinning moment.
The Brazilian might not be the most consistent player right now, but he’s proven that he’s capable of the spectacular, which makes him a danger at all times. Now, New York will just hope that he’s able to provide some more wonderful moments before the campaign is done.
What comes next?
This result may not technically eliminate Chicago from playoff contention, but it certainly makes the task of qualifying for the postseason much harder. They’ve fallen behind the chasing pack, and they’ve also lost all of the momentum they had previously built up. Every game is almost certainly a must-win now, and the rest of their campaign starts with a home game against CF Montréal, which won’t be easy at all.
NYCFC are in a much better position. They’ve effectively sealed a postseason berth, and they’re in a good spot in terms of securing a home match for the first round. They’re away to Orlando City next weekend, and another win would go a long way in giving them a bit of swagger again. New York are still figuring themselves out, but they might end up being a real threat come playoff time.