NYCFC LOSES LATE GAME LEAD, SETTLES FOR 1-1 TIE AGAINST CHICAGO

Photo courtesy of NYCFC Advanced Media

Article by Scott Churchson

Columnist and Host of The Sports Den on Spanglish World Networks, Spanglish Sports World & Zingo TV

New York. - On a cold night in Chicago, the New York City Football Club took a 1-0 lead into the 75th minute in their second match of the season only to end the match playing on their heels and settling for a 1-1 tie. With defender James Sands back into the lineup for the first time since his stint in Scotland, NYCFC seemed to gel more quickly than in last week's match against Nashville, scoring on a Gabriel Pereira right footed shot just inside the left bar 39 minutes in and controlling the attack for much of the first half; gaining the advantage thanks to two forced substitutions in the first half.

The second half told a bit of a different tale. After newly acquired striker Kei Kamara was brought in at the start of the half in place of Kacper Przybyłko the Fire became more aggressive on the attack, forcing New York to play in it's own end. After a free kick by Chicago striker Fabien Herbers had an open window from just outside the penalty area to score the equalizer at 1-1.

There's a lot to be proud of if you're a Chicago Fire fan. The way the club came back after early substitutions and an early deficit, the immediate impact of Kei Kamara and the way the team synced in the second half gives them reason to be excited. As for NYCFC, it's a disappointing tie that in many ways feels like a loss but is still a point. Next up for both clubs, the Fire travel to Philadelphia to take on the Union next Saturday while NYCFC has it's own home opener against Miami. Both matches are on Saturday the 11th.

4 Notes:

1) For NYCFC it felt much more like the old times than last week. With the return of two fan favorites in  Santiago Rodriguez and James Sands, the home opener next week is sure to be a sweet one for both.

2) Both clubs had 9 shots, but the Fire only had the one on goal vs three for New York.

3) NYCFC has had good success against Inter-Miami, going 6-1 historically dating back to 2020. The last time the two clubs met was in the playoffs last year, with New York winning 3-0. Miami sits at 2-0 in the young season.

4) For Chicago & Philly, the matchups historically have been more balanced, with a 14-10-7 record going to the Union in 31 matches. However, in 16 matches at now Subaru Park, the Union are 10-3-3.