James Sands in the Home Opener Against Inter-Miami
The New York City Football Club will aim to pick up where it left off after it’s1-0 home opener win against Inter-Miami back on March 11. Currently sitting in 10th place in the new look Play-In playoff format, the club will try to make it two in a row against current 8th place DC United, once again playing at Yankee Stadium. And once again, here’s 4 questions going into this match to toss around on the forums as you see fit.
4 Questions:
1) Will the offensive struggles continue? This was going to be an obvious one, given that the team has only truly scored 1 goal this season (with last week’s win coming from a Miami Own-Goal). To their credit, the Gents in Blue did control much of the action in that match, putting 7 shots on net and having a goal called back due to offsides. But unless it’s on the scoreboard it doesn’t matter.
2) Is Luis Barraza coming into his own? I’ve talked about him in the past but the 6’2″ backup goaltender finally got his shot to start this season and thus far has been solid, giving up just 1 goal in the past two games after 2 in Nashville in the first match of the season. It’s still very early in the year but I feel fans are already starting to forget about former goalkeeper Sean Johnson at this point.
3) Is Talles Magno stronger in a warmer climate? This might be an incorrect observation, but I get the feeling like he’s still working to adapt to the New York’s colder season. Prior to coming to the club in June of 2021 he spent his entire career in Brazil playing in Rio for Vasco da Gama where the temperature was a comfy 65-87 degrees Fahrenheit all year round (something increasingly tempting to me as I get older). Just a passing thought, but playing in 30-40 degrees sucks when you’re playing in shorts. At least I have dad-bod to help me through winter around here. As of this writing, low temperatures are predicted to be about 29 degrees that night.
4) What will DC United bring to the table? The Black-And-Red started out strong, scoring 3 in a last minute come from behind against Sean Johnson and Toronto FC in the season opener. Since then they’ve scored just 1 goal of their own, last week against Orlando City. All time NYCFC is 10-6-3 against DC, but lost in their last matchup, 2-1 back in late August.
About the author – Scott Churchson has been an actor in every way for the past 13 years, from BG to stand in to stunts and principal, a sports writer for the past 4 and is one of the people that created Stream Punk Entertainment. He’s married to a veterinarian, has a cat with three working legs and is just a simple man trying to make his way in the universe.
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