Five Points: Drawing Positives – OurSports Central

September 8, 2022 – Major League Soccer (MLS) – New York City FC News Release

New York City Football Club played out an entertaining 1-1 draw with FC Cincinnati on Wednesday night.

Here are Five Points from a dramatic encounter at Citi Field…

A Positive Result

While the team were naturally disappointed not to have come away with all three points on a night in which they dominated possession (65.3%) and outshot their opponents 22-4 (8-1 on target), it was crucial that City stopped the rot of successive defeats.

Earning a positive result, especially from behind and with ten men, can spark a mentality shift and boost confidence both individually and as a collective: ending the streak can mark a fresh start and more optimistic outlook.

The performance itself was much-improved and even when the odds seemed stacked against the home side with Thiago Martins’ unfortunate own-goal and then sending off, the Boys in Blue battled on to preserve a precious point.

Never Give Up

Throughout the squad’s challenging run of form, Interim Head Coach Nick Cushing had spoken of the players’ burning desire to set things right, and that hunger was clear for all to see in Queens.

The team started brightly and then responded well to falling behind, clawing back a leveler before the break – the emotion evident in Gabriel Pereira’s jubilant celebration: sheer elation and relief, as he tore off his shirt.

The passion radiated from the field: there was fight and determination in tracking back, while those who were introduced from the bench were keen to influence the game – Héber inches away from an immediate impact, striking the crossbar with an excellent turn-and-shot.

This team are not giving up.

Team Spirit

Togetherness also shone through in the face of adversity.

When Martins’ backpass rolled agonizingly over the line to open the scoring for the visitors against the run of play, the squad could be forgiven for dropping their heads and resigning themselves to another bad day at the office, placing the blame on their teammate and screaming their frustration.

However, in the immediate aftermath, the players rallied around Martins to provide words of encouragement, including goalkeeper and captain Sean Johnson, who put his arm around the Defender and rallied the troops.

Mistakes happen and the stirring reaction to that moment was a fine example of the team spirit within the group.

Three In, Three Out

News of the returning trio of Martins, Alex Callens and Keaton Parks to the matchday squad…