ORANGEBURG, N.Y. — A 14-day break between games has allowed New York City FC a chance to get healthier, be more refreshed and look internally to figure out why their form has dropped of late.
While there was plenty done on the pitch with finishing drills on Wednesday after working on crossing on Tuesday, fullback Anton Tinnerholm said some of the most important work was done in meetings.
It was a chance for the entire team to watch film, to discuss their current run of form and search for solutions.
The synopsis? It ain’t broke.
“Of course we have to score the goals, but the main things we talked about in the meetings was that we have to continue what we’re doing,” Tinnerholm told MLSsoccer.com. “Then we have to improve the last thing we’re doing. What specifically we’re going to change we keep for ourselves, but the main thing we talked about is we have to continue like we have the last two games.”
Those last two games — a 1-0 loss to the New England Revolution and a 1-1 draw with D.C. United — saw NYCFC combine for 58 shots with just one David Villa free kick goal to show for it.
“We looked at some pictures of what we have done and to be fair, if you look at the opportunities and chances we had it’s simple that we should have won the last two games when we only got one point,” Tinnerholm said. “It’s more we have to continue with what we are doing. We’re not playing bad. We’re playing in the way we want. We have to continue to do that and the goals are going to come.”
NYCFC visit the Montreal Impact Saturday (7:30 pm ET | TVAS - full TV & streaming info) having won just once in their last eight games. As a result they have slipped out of Supporters’ Shield contention and it appears likely the club will be playing a Knockout Round game on either Oct. 31 or Nov. 1.
It’s a stark difference from when Dome Torrent was hired in June and the club won five of his first six games in charge.
But those results didn’t tell the full story, Torrent said.
“In my [first] six games we won five games, but I know and they know we didn’t play in the best way,” Torrent told MLSsoccer.com. “When that happens in one or two games, you can lose the game. If we’re able to play better, to play well, is the best way to not just improve, but to be ready to win one trophy.”
Torrent said he’s seen his team play much better, especially in the last two games, than his first month in charge. He points to the 58 shots in the last two games, and the 11 shots from 19 crosses against D.C. as evidence.
“I’d worry if the problem was, okay, we keep the ball, but we never arrive in the 18-yard box,” Torrent said. “I don’t like to keep the ball to keep the ball and pass the ball to pass the ball. When you arrive 58 [shots] in two games, something you are doing very well.”
