Five Points: James Sands Scores

September 23, 2024 – Major League Soccer (MLS)
New York City FC News Release

New York City FC recorded a draw against Inter Miami CF on Saturday.

A stoppage time equalizer from James Sands – his first for the Club – helped City record a 1-1 draw.

Here are Five Points from the game…

Big Occasion

With the stands packed and the atmosphere bouncing, it was a special day for football fans in New York City.

A crowd of just over 44,000 watched New York City FC take on Inter Miami on Saturday with both teams pursuing a victory through beautiful attacking soccer. City weren’t overawed by that occasion, and the experience will only aid their journey toward where they want to be.

They will be hopeful of earning more opportunities like this in what remains of the season, with the post-season a perfect stage for this team to show exactly what they can do.

Shootout

Although Inter Miami had shaded the possession battle during the contest it was City that produced the most shots on the day.

The hosts outshot Miami 20-8 on the day and were able to shade the expected goals against Miami too – 1.7 to 1.3.

Cushing was keen to acknowledge afterward the sense of superiority City had during the game – believing they allowed Miami to have possession in areas City did not consider dangerous.

For that reason, City can take a lot of positives from Saturday’s contest as they head into the final stretch of games in the regular season.

Sands Scores

10,241.

That’s how many MLS minutes it took for James Sands to score his first goal for City, but it couldn’t have arrived at a better moment.

The midfielder rose highest at a corner to equalize for City right before the final whistle. His memorable first strike for City sent Yankee Stadium delirious and it was clear to see what it meant to both Sands and his teammates.

Nick Cushing said afterward he believes the goal could be a catalyst for City’s season, with some drawing comparisons to Gudi Thórarinsson’s freekick for City back in 2021. Either way, the goal was a rich reward for City’s industry and commitment until the last ball had been kicked.

Battle in the Bronx

The fast-paced nature of the contest led to a high number of fouls – 32 in total.

At times things threatened to boil over, but both teams kept things in check as they collected nine yellow cards but zero red cards.

City’s blend of control and aggression is vital. Their high-pressing style requires them to walk the line expertly to unsettle the opposition and destabilize their rhythm. That…