MLS Peachy: New York City FC vs. San Jose: Match Recap 3-2 WIN Interviews with Ned Grabavoy, Andrea Pirlo, Chris Wingert, Frank Lampard and Kwadwo Poku Our Coverage Sponsored by Maine Woolens
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Saturday night's NYCFC game was full on from the start with nonstop action and a quick pace that boasted all three designated players in the starting lineup. Attendance is something New York can be really proud of with a solid crowd this time of 28,321, and how often have we seen two wins at home so close?!!? Phenomenal. Let's see how many consecutive wins they can get at home now...and build on this.
The first half was evenly matched with lots of back and forth up and down the field. Pirlo set up several commendable plays, however, by halftime, it was still scoreless. The first half was an indication of how many calls/yellow cards were earned over the course of the game, and it was also a solid start for this team that has really come together over time.
The second half, as many are, was even more exciting with Ned Grabavoy coming alive! In about the 51st minute he put New York on the scoreboard with a nice pass from David Villa, and again in the 63rd minute from Lampard with Villa scoring the winner later. Two thumbs up on Angelino coming in much earlier (in for Allen on the 58th minute) and also for the spirit of this club that shows no quit when the odds are against them statistically.
Though there might not be enough opportunity left in the schedule to secure the needed points to advance to the playoffs, NYCFC remains alive!
Ned Grabavoy said:
"I think this season has been a struggle for everyone. We've been towards the bottom of the table most of the season in the conference. Individually and collectively across the board [I don't think anyone on this team would say] we've been spectacular this year. We've shifted up our shape at times throughout the year so sometimes I'm on the left but in a defensive role."
We asked how he's feeling about the playoff situation now compared to a week ago, and Peachy was also interested in knowing what Ned ate for dinner (as you know we are extremely interested in dinner and you may not know we have some superstitions).
"I ate the same thing for dinner! Chicken and pasta. You're making me double think now and go back and see if I did anything differently! I think the last three games we've just been better all around. As far as the playoffs go, we can only control ourselves. Obviously, we're going to need some help from some other teams. But for me, 2-3 weeks ago we could have laid down and died but I think we've done the opposite. That's the most positive thing."
Peachy: What do you think is working about the chemistry and consistency today as opposed to in April?
Ned: "We've had a number of changes obviously. We've brought in some real quality, and we've gotten these guys on the same page. At the same time we went back to some of the basics. Though we weren't winning games earlier, I thought we were really competitive in the league."
Andrea Pirlo added:
"We needed the three points [which we captured] despite giving up a little bit at the end. We got there. Next time we'll do better."
Chris Wingert colored in:
"I'm looking at the next game. It's a really difficult one in Vancouver, and I'm not looking beyond that," he said when we asked how he would assess the difficulty level of the upcoming remaining four games. "Being tough to break down, they have a potent attack with a number of different options going through their midfield and their forwards, so we're going to have to be really compact and make sure we do all we can to be hard to break down. When we do get the ball, we need to keep low in stretches of possession and the more we can do that in their half the better off we'll be in terms of keeping them away from our goal."
Peachy: What are you happiest with from these past two home games?
Chris: "That we won both games! That's all that matters right now. Certainly I want to play well and I think that the effort was there in both games. We're not happy to give up two late goals but it was still a good job not to crumble and give away the three points. We scored three spectacular goals: credit to those guys. We'll move forward on to the next one."
On yellow cards:
"I can't go into a game not trying to get a yellow card," Chris tells us. "I don't think it's the right way to play when sometimes you need to make a professional foul or go in on a tackle. Especially not for the rest of the season...to get five yellow cards in an entire season if you're playing 25 plus games to me - I don't see how that should be a punishment. As a defender to get one every five games...I can't worry about things that aren't in my control."
Peachy: What do you think about the future of soccer in America?
Chris: "In a sentence? [It would take half an hour to properly answer this.] It's looking bright. The sport is headed in the right direction not only for our national team but also for this league. I'm excited to be a very small part of that hopefully for years to come. Even if it's not on a playing level I'm a huge fan of the sport. I want to continue to see the sport grow and I think it will."
Finally, we can't believe it when we still find people in New York that don't know about the NYCFC yet...and so naturally we plug the team and inform the uninformed.
Peachy: What do you want everyone to know about this team?
Chris: "Hopefully we do a good job representing New York! We're an exciting team to watch. We love and respect all of our fans and appreciate their support."
Frank Lampard says:
"We can't sit and demand why we don't have as many points as we want, or we can go out and take on the task at hand and try to win the remainder of the games and see what happens. We can hold our heads up high with the way we are playing at the minute. I don't think there's any problem with attitude or desire of the lads....I've been really impressed with them.
We asked Poku how he felt about not starting, as we think he should be starting (and we still think McNamara should be playing for 90 minutes).
"We have coaches here that try to do what is best for the team, and we're just going to win with their direction and it's working," Kwadwo Poko modestly responds.
Peachy: How would you assess the team's development over the season?
"It was a long way coming," Poku says. "Different people. Different ideas. As I said at first, we're going to get there; we're still not there yet. We're on the right track and we just have to keep working. I feel like we've been improving and winning and that's how we wanted it. It's been good so far!"
If you have not been to a game, you should know that Poku is a HUGE FAN FAVORITE.
HUGE.
Peachy: What do you want your fans to know?
Poku: "Keep supporting us! We're here because of them. We're going to fight hard to give them whatever they want and whatever they deserve."
Coach Kreis commented:
"I'm a little bit displeased as to how my team ended the game after being up 3-0. I think we could have done a lot better job of closing this game out. A big part of me wishes we walked out with a shutout again because that's what we really need. I think that tonight was Frank Lampard's best night by far."
NYCFC tells Whom You Know:
Ned Grabavoy scored a brace and David Villa added to his Club-leading tally as New York City FC beat the San Joe Earthquakes 3-2 in front of 28,231 raucous supporters on a beautiful Saturday night at Yankee Stadium.
New York City FC improve to 9-14-7 (34 points) with a pair of home victories this week – the Club also beat Toronto FC 2-0 on Wednesday – while San Jose falls to 11-12-7 (40 points).
"The last three games we’ve just been better all around," Grabavoy said. "As far as playoffs go, we can only control ourselves. We’re going to need some help from other teams, but for me, 2-3 weeks ago we could have laid down and died, but we did the opposite and that’s the most positive."
Added Villa: "These two wins at home have been very important for the team's morale. Six points in four days is very important for morale, too."
After a scoreless back-and-forth first half, New York City FC broke the deadlock six minutes into the second half.
Josh Saunders booted a goal kick into the middle of the field that was won by Frank Lampard and headed on to Grabavoy on the left. The midfielder had a lovely give-and-go with captain David Villa as the latter slid a through ball down the left side for Grabavoy, whose shot deflected off of Clarence Goodson and past goalkeeper David Bringham to make it 1-0.
It was Grabavoy’s first goal for the Club and his first since Oct. 11, 2014, coincidentally against the Earthquakes.
The 32-year-old was involved in a great opportunity in the 59th minute, driving down the left and cutting the back to the top of the 18-yard box to Lampard, but Chelsea’s all-time leading scorer dragged his shot agonizingly wide of the near post.
While the duo didn’t hook up on that opportunity, they made the most of their next chance in the 63rd.
Lampard dribbled down the right side, beat on a defender and served up a teasing cross near the 6-yard box that Grabavoy headed home for a 2-0 advantage.
New York City FC, which came into the match with two headed goals all season, had their second in two minutes against San Jose as Villa got on the end of Angelino’s cross from the left to put the home side up 3-0 after 70 minutes.
It was Villa’s team-leading 16th goal in his debut season in Major League Soccer.
"He looked really focused tonight," head coach Jason Kreis said. "He was intent on making things happen and doing whatever he could for the team. The goal was nice, but the assist was equally as nice -- the weight he put on the ball was inch perfect."
San Jose didn’t lay down, though, getting on the score sheet in the 72nd minute. Quincy Amarikwa out-leapt a crowd of players in the box to get his head on a secondary ball from a corner kick, cutting the deficit to 3-1.
The Earthquakes got within one as Chris Wondolowski scored on a penalty kick following Angelino’s takedown of Amarikwa in the box in the 75th.
The goal by Wondolowski ties him with Kreis for fifth on the MLS all-time scoring list at 108.
"Both teams clearly needed the three points," Kreis said. "Both were dead set on trying to get them. Things were more tightened up in the first half and then both teams were going for things in the second."
New York City FC appeared to take a 1-0 lead in the first half, but Villa was ruled offside in the 29th minute. San Jose quickly took their free kick and Amarikwa raced toward goal, but Saunders came out and stifled the opportunity.
New York City FC look to continue their push for the playoffs next Saturday against Western Conference-leading Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Kickoff is 10 p.m. ET from BC Place (YES Network, WQBU).
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Of course, NYCFC has earned our highest recommendation this season and you should make their last regular season home game on October 25, 2015 a top priority in your schedule!
Of course, NYCFC has earned our highest recommendation this season and you should make their last regular season home game on October 25, 2015 a top priority in your schedule!
