WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: NYCFC
Welcome back to What You Need To Know, a preview for Austin FC fans to check in on their next opponent.
Opponent: New York City FC
Kick Off time: 7:30 PM
Location: Q2 Stadium, Austin, TX
History vs. Austin FC:
These teams have never played against each other outside of closed-door scrimmages or pre-season matches.
Recent Matches:
NYCFC have won 10 of their past 14 matches to bring themselves into 4th in the Eastern Conference after only winning one of their first seven matches. They beat CF Montreal 2-0 on Wednesday thanks to two goals by Alonso Martinez
Players to Watch:
Alonso Martinez
The Costa Rican striker has emerged to be penned in as a striker for this team, outcompeting Monsef Bakrar (2 goals in 17 appearances) and Jovan Mijatovic (0 goals in 7 appearances). He has either a goal or an assist in his last four starts and scored a hat trick against the San Jose Earthquakes in a mere 32 minutes on May 31.
James Sands
The fringe USMNT and former Rangers player returned to NYCFC before the 2023 season and provided the defensive dirty work every team needs. He can play left back or centrally at defense or in the center of the midfield. He’s always around the ball and is a big part of what allows them to commit numbers forward.
Matt Freese
The goalkeeper, who was not expected to start but won the job (where have we heard this before?) has settled into being one of the best keepers in MLS. He was at the top of everyone’s “snub” list for the MLS All-Star game and deservedly so.
Keys to the Match:
Availability/Rest
With Costa Rica and Venezuela eliminated from Copa America this week Julio Cascante is fully available tonight and Dani Perreira could be added to the roster to serve his suspension. Diego Rubio is out tonight after a suspension for yellow card accumulation. Austin FC II played and won 2-0 over the Real Monarchs last night where CJ Fodrey and Jimmy Farkalun both played significant minutes but could both be on the bench tonight. Josh Wolff has repeatedly told us about how limited Austin’s roster is, and we are at the tail end before reinforcements are available after July 18.
A Sputtering Attack
After another hapless performance last weekend, Austin currently sits last in the Western Conference in goals for with only 23 in 21 matches, for comparison LAFC has scored 43 goals in 21 matches. xG isn’t a perfect stat, but the last time Austin generated more than 1.0 xG was against RSL due to a penalty that was given well after the match was in doubt. Josh Wolff is quoted in a press release after being hired:
“Our stated ambition is to establish ourselves quickly within MLS as a vibrant, attacking side and we want to reflect the diverse, competitive, and passionate makeup of our club’s home, both on and off the field.”
Year 4 of Josh Wolff in charge has shown that ambition has failed. Austin is a slow, boring team that can’t break down defenses and rarely even attempts to do so, especially on the road. Austin has fallen out of the playoffs as their previous positive form turned into a blip instead of a trend.
All Purpose Fields
NYCFC plays at Yankee Stadium until their new soccer-specific stadium opens in 2027. This presents some interesting challenges when watching them play. The field is noticeably smaller at 110 yards by 70 yards, the minimum dimensions FIFA allows (Q2 is listed as 115 yards by 75 yards, which doesn’t sound like a lot, but is noticeable when watching or playing on it). This means they cater their side to a particular style, typically favoring more technical players who can play in smaller spaces like Maxi Martinez (listed as out injured tonight) and forcing pressure in the confined space. This does hurt them when playing on larger fields, which is why their home/away goal splits are dramatic:
Home: 25 goals in 12 matches
Away: 7 goals in 9 matches
Austin should try and use the field size to expand NYCFC and force them to play and defend in space and having to cover more ground than they’re used to.
See you at Q2!
