Cushing Reaction: “We Have to Stay Together in These Moments.”

September 1, 2022 – Major League Soccer (MLS) – New York City FC News Release

New York City Interim Head Coach Nick Cushing has called upon his squad to pull together in the face of adversity.

The Boys in Blue suffered a disappointing defeat at the hands of D.C. United on Wednesday night, courtesy of goals from Ola Kamara and Steven Birnbaum.

While Cushing admitted his frustration, he insisted his side are giving their all to improve their fortunes in difficult circumstances with the team suffering a challenging run both on the pitch and with injuries.

“We know at the moment we’re not giving the fans what they deserve,” he stated. “But at the same time, that isn’t for the will of trying, the fight, the desire to give them what they want.

“It’s a huge disappointment that we didn’t win again, a huge disappointment that it’s another defeat – and another home defeat – but I’m also really aware of where the team is.

“It’s a bit disrespectful to say that just because D.C. had lost a lot of games, that we should roll them over. You saw the grit and fight they have.

“It’s difficult at the end of the game, sitting against nine players on top of the goal. We got into areas to put the ball in the box. We couldn’t get a clean cross but it’s not for the want of trying – we’re pushing hard.

“We tried to freshen it up and I thought the spirit of the group, you could see it at the end – they were really pushing the game, really driving and it just didn’t happen for us.

“We have to stay together in these moments and we have to continue to try and find ways to build that cohesion, even though we have a roster that’s been disrupted week in, week out.

“As a Head Coach, I’ve seen in many moments the desire for us to turn things around. There are many factors at the moment… We’re rolling with a really small roster. You can see the tiredness in the legs for the turnaround. We’ve got one eye on the New England game and we have to make sure we go there without the accumulative effect of two games.

“We have no consistency in our team selection because of injuries and because of those moments that we’re in. We don’t have many moments to train with a new back four and we’re interchanging players all the time and that’s bringing us challenges.

“Through our roster, my job as coach is to make sure this team is prepared to go out and win a game. From the moment I walk out of this room, I will reflect and evaluate on my preparation and where I can be better in improving this team going…