NEW YORK – On the field at Yankee Stadium, the home losses continue to mount. In the New York City FC locker room following a 3-2 loss to Real Salt Lake Thursday night, there’s a struggle for answers.
“We, in the locker room, are left scratching our heads and feel a bit snake-bitten because in a lot of our matches we come out with a good mentality,” defender Jason Hernandez said. “We try to do the right things.”
As has often been the case this season, NYCFC has had more of the ball, created more scoring chances and played, as coach Patrick Vieira says “fantastic football.”
That was true again Thursday night, although Vieira believes his team took the foot off the gas following a dominant, yet scoreless, first half.
“The team at times showed a little arrogance, a little too much confidence and we get punished straightaway,” Vieira said.
He said his team needs to play with more “humility” and again asked for “ruthlessness” in both boxes.
“I think we are maybe overconfident and it became a problem,” Vieira said. “I think we have to be more humble in front of the goals, we have to be more ruthless. For me, it’s all based on humility.”
Midfielder Jack Harrison put the squad in front with his first MLS goal, but then RSL roared back for three in 18 minutes, capped by an own goal by Frederic Brillant.
“I haven’t looked at the box score, but I didn’t really feel Salt Lake was very, very dangerous as far as how many shots they put on target and if we were under a lot of pressure defensively and somehow they come away with three goals,” Hernandez said. “Maybe they had two shots and a dangerous cross that ended up as an own goal. Unfortunately, right now, any half chance or half mistake ends up in the back of our net.”
With another chance to move up the Eastern Conference standings squandered, NYCFC have just eight out of a possible 27 points at home and extended their winless streak to four games after a franchise-best three-game winning streak.
While there’s no simple answer, goalkeeper Josh Saunders hopes his team has the right mentality to battle through the difficulties.
“I don’t think it’s so much frustrating, it’s soccer. That’s how things go,” Saunders said. “If you get frustrated you put more pressure on yourself and then things kind of go downhill from there. You ride the wave and you try to get to a good spot.”
