NYCFC no mistakes 4-0 victory over RSL
Yankee Stadium, NYC — The New York City FC picked up right where they left off against San Jose Earthquakes before the bye weekend in the first midweek match of 2018.
This promised to be a stern examination of City’s early season credentials as they faced off against a Real Salt Lake team buoyed by their win over in-form Vancouver Whitecaps last time out.
With Head Coach Patrick Vieira able to call upon fit-again Ronald Matarrita, as well as Alex Ring and David Villa, who were back on the bench, there were plenty of reasons to be cheerful even before a ball was kicked in this first game in the Bronx for 31 days.
A strong start was sought and that’s exactly what was delivered, courtesy of Ismael Tajouri-Shradi’s brilliant sidefooted finish which found the upper 90 with just 12’ on the board.
Anton Tinnerholm created it with his overlapping run down the right which was cut out but only as far as Isi who made it four goals in as many games for the new boy.
Matarrita almost marked his return with a goal of the season contender but his volley which had goalkeeper Nick Rimando grasping at thin air thundered back off the crossbar.
Any disappointment wouldn’t linger for long, as on 30’, the Boys in Blue roared into a two-goal lead.
This time, it was Maxi Moralez who helped himself to his fourth goal of the season from the penalty spot after he was felled just inside the box.
Vieira’s men weren’t finished there in the first half, but this time it was a new hero who announced themselves to the Bronx faithful.
Jo Inge Berget celebrated his home debut in style, racing onto Jesus Medina’s sublime through ball and finishing clinically into the bottom corner for his first goal for NYCFC.
The game all but over at the halfway stage, RSL wouldn’t have been happy to see Ring and Villa both introduced as substitutes with plenty of time remaining in the night.
Alex and David both got 30 minutes in the legs ahead of Sunday’s trip to Atlanta United as NYCFC played out the game in relative comfort, celebrating one more time when Ebenezer Ofori opened his account on 70′, tapping home from Maxi Moralez’s clever pass. The perfect night.
NYCFC continued their best-ever start to an MLS season (P6 W5 L0 D1). Tajouri-Shradi scored his fourth goal for NYCFC. Maxi Moralez scored his fourth goal of the 2018 season, Sean Johnson earned his third clean sheet of 2018 – no other MLS goalkeeper has more. Jo Inge Berget scored his first NYCFC goal on his home debut. Ebenezer Ofori scored his first NYCFC goal. David Villa returned for his first minutes in a month, Alexander Callens’ record of playing every single Regular Season minute since 2017 came to an end as he was substituted on 75′.
NYCFC HEAD COACH PATRICK VIEIRA
On how big it was to have Berget as a scoring option and to see him score his first goal:
“I was real pleased with him. I think he’s been very unlucky since he arrived with us with injuries but he’s been working hard. He deserved that goal and I’m really pleased. Even if he is not 100 percent fit, I like the way he’s working for the team. I like the way he’s thinking about the team before thinking about himself. He deserved the goal. I’m really happy for him today.”
On what he did to set out the team to create chances:
“I think we worked on the tactical side of the game. We worked to defend faces of the game. I was really happy in the first half. I think we were well positioned on the field. We gave them a lot of problems, created the overload in the wide area; and I think tactically the players executed very well.”
On whether having some time without David has helped some of the players:
“No, David (Villa) wasn’t in because he was injured. He’s part of our front players who can score goals, like he’s shown in the last few years. What would make my job really difficult for the next game is for me to choose the starting eleven. I will have to be honest with the players as usual. It will be a tough decision I will have to make, but i will always think about the team before thinking about individuals. When you look at the way Ismael (Tajouri-Shradi), Jesus (Medina), and even Jo (Inge Berget) work, David missed a few games, but he came on and played really hard and that’s what I expect from the players. Their job is to make it difficult to choose the starting eleven. I have a decision to make and I will make it, but always putting the team first.”
NYCFC GOALKEEPER SEAN JOHNSON
On how NYCFC will keep momentum going…
“I think most importantly for us – every game is a different challenge. We have a group of players that are very driven, very focused, very hungry – I think hungry is the best word to describe this group. Every game, we know we have to go in and put on a performance. When we get a result, we analyze it – both the good and bad. We work on things throughout the week and then our focus shifts to the next game. We don’t really think in the past – that’s been our key to success over this stretch – it’s really just focusing on the task at hand and then after the task just focus on the next one.”
On facing Atlanta in their next match…
“I think we enjoy this win a little bit and we’ll get back to the training ground tomorrow and start working and preparing for Atlanta. We’ll go over the game plan, the way we want to play, things we want to accomplish in Atlanta – I think we’ll have a clear understanding heading to Atlanta.”
On returning to his hometown of Atlanta having briefly been a part of Atlanta United FC…
“No, I have nothing to prove while I’m down there. I’ve been with this group for two years now. Our performances have spoken for themselves and I’m in a good environment here. I’m happy where I am, I think everything works out for a reason – for us there’s another game to be played, another important Eastern Conference matchup – but nothing else can be managed besides going down there and getting a result.
NYCFC DEFENDER ANTON TINNERHOLM
On today’s game…
“We played really well in the first half. We talked about a few things before the game, how we wanted to punish them and we did it quite well. We attacked them especially on my side, on the right. I had about 15-20 crosses in the first half so I was a bit tired after the first half but it was fun to play today because we showed a lot of character and a lot of quality, and we played the football we wanted to play. That’s the main thing, and I think that the first half has been the best half of the season.”
On the last ten minutes of todays game…
“You cant be sad after a 4-0 victory, but of course there are things you can improve after a game. I think after a game like this, I’m happy and we’re going to take a look at the game tomorrow and Friday, but you can’t be satisfied. I think that’s the main thing, you can be happy about the win but you can’t be satisfied because we have to continue playing on this level.”.
On upcoming game vs Atlanta…
“I know they are a pretty good team, but tonight I’m just going to go home and relax and think about this game and then first thing Friday we’ll think about this game.”
NYCFC MIDFIELDER EBENEZER OFORI
On coming into this game fighting for minutes and if he’s comfortable after scoring.
“It’s a family. Every week you have to show up at the training grounds to make into the Eleven.”
On how good NYCFC can be…We keep growing better – like a family. Everybody is giving 100% and I think we can keep going.”
On finding more consistent playing time here…“I feel good, I feel great, I feel happy. The team is like a family so it feels good.”
On looking ahead to Sunday…
“I think we have a good program for the week and preparation for the next game – so I think we will be good for the next game.”
NYCFC FORWARD JO INGE BERGET
On how important it is to add more scoring threats..
“I think we’ve shown now that we have many players on this team that can score goals. It’s a really good start for Ismael and we have Maxi scoring goals. I think we’ve shown we have many players that can score and that’s important.”
On his first NYCFC goal… “It’s always good to score and get that first goal and get that pressure off you and it’s a nice feeling and a good goal
REAL SALT LAKE HEAD COACH MIKE PETKE
Talk about your performance…
“We played against a superior team. At their home. A team that Patrick [Viera] built up phenomenally in three years. Had a great conversation with Patrick in preseason and before this game tonight and my hands off to him. He’s got a player in every position that’s technically gifted. 89th minute, I don’t know if it was Moralez, I think it was Moralez. 89th minute winning 4-0 and him sprinting 60 yards back, put the work in. A team with the great mentality. A team that like I said, that he built up that is technically superior at every position than most teams. So we lost to a, right now, better team.
Talk about giving up an early goal…
“I mean, we’re on the road. I thought early chunks in the beginning, we did what we said we were going to do – which is get behind the ball, five across the middle to deny any penetrating passes. Force them long a bit. We didn’t really deal with the long balls to well and there it is. It was not good enough and they punished us.
What do you guys need to do to get on a roll at this point…
“Somewhere along the way from the second part of last year, we kind-of, I don’t know, forgot certain things and it starts with us – me and the staff of course. It’s about getting that bite back and that mentality. That style of play that we had that made us successful in the second half of last year. The good thing is that we have plenty of time left. But it seems like NYCFC have improved and they’re getting better. I thought Toronto was a really good team. NYCFC right now, I think, is the best team in the league. For sure.”
RSL MIDFIELDER KYLE BECKERMAN
Mike said NYCFC is the best team in the league, how do you feel so far? What’s your take?
“Yeah today it sure looked like it. We got to do better, we need to try and counter some of their stance but we weren’t able to do so today.”
Are you concerned 2-3-1 kind of choppy so far
“that’s where we are right now and like I said we have to find our way out of it, we are a little ahead of where we were last year, we struggle a bit in the beginning so there’s still some hope and it being a eastern conference team it’s not so hard standing wise. We got to do better, we have to improve so hopefully we will next game.”
What are some of the little things that you think hurt you?
“Yeah it’s a lot of things, we have to figure it out. It’s a tough thing to swallow but we have to look in mirror, we have to watch it and see where we have to improve see if we did anything good and try to do that again and just fix mistakes, just try to improve. Whether we won tonight, tied other lost we have to get better, so hopefully we can learn from today and push on to next game.”
REAL SALT LAKE DEFENDER JUSTEN GLAD
On the penalty committed on Maxi Moralez…
“I will re-watch it. I didn’t think I touched him. I guess we will find out after I re-watch it.”
On being down two goals early in the game…
“Goals change games. Changes how you play, it changes your mentality, it changes everything.”
On what Real Salt Lake needs to do gain more points…
I think we need to go into each game with the same style of play and assert ourselves like we did last year. It kind of felt like if we were home or away last year you knew we were going to be the aggressor. Just getting back to that and really finding our rhythm again and hopefully we can put together a couple of consistent performances so its not so hot and cold.”
On getting better on defense…
“You always give yourself a shot when you have a shutout. It doesn’t help when you give up two early goals like that. It changes the game when the other team scores.
