New York City FC stayed perfect at Yankee Stadium, thanks to an emphatic 3-0 win over Orlando City on Pride Night.
Hereâs Five Things we learned from an enjoyable eveningâs play in the BXâĤ
Home Comforts
Patrick Vieiraâs record at Yankee Stadium over the last two season is pretty special.
Since 2017, NYCFC have only been defeated twice in the Bronx in Regular Season play and are now perfect through six home games of 2018, scoring 17 goals and conceding just two.
Cityâs chances of picking up the full quota of points from this one only looked in doubt briefly, just before Sacha Kljestanâs missed penalty at the start of the second half.
The home team never looked back from there, racking up two more goals to send the Bronx faithful home happy once again.
Thereâs no place like home.
Isiâs Star Turn
What a signing Tajouri-Shradi is proving to be.
The forward is arguably the leagueâs most unforgiving forward right now, scoring seven goals from just 12 shots in 2018 (7 from 8 on frame!).
City had missed a host of presentable chances up until the moment Isi took matters into his own hands, shifting inside before delivering an unstoppable left-footed strike over and around Joe Bendik.
Losing a player of Jack Harrisonâs quality in the offseason was always going to sting, but Tajouri-Shradi is helping to replace the Englishmanâs goals, with a little help from a certain Argentine playmakerâĤ
El Frasquito
Yes, Maxi Moralez is piling in with his share of goals too, scoring his sixth of the season with a goal that was both comical and pleasing on the eye.
NYCFC used the crossbar like a backboard for the dagger third goal, with Medina and Villa beating Bendik, but not the bar, twice, before Maxi volleyed under the âkeeper.
Moralez, Tajouri-Shradi and David Villa have already shared 21 goals between them, so it looks like NYCFC have the goalscoring potential to do very well in the race for the Supportersâ Shield from the early running.
Switching it Up
Judging by Twitter, reporters assembled in the press box spent a good portion of the first 45â trying to figure out Patrick Vieiraâs formation for this one.
The Frenchman is one of the most innovative, thoughtful coaches in the league, as heâs proved with a number of unconventional strategies in recent weeks.
This time, it was something like a 3-2-4-1 to begin with, featuring Jo Inge Berget as the no.9 ahead of Anton Tinnerholm, Maxi Moralez, Jesus Medina and Ismael Tajouri-Shradi, who were all in attacking, and often interchangeable, roles.
Perhaps it was unsurprising that it took a little time to click but, when it did, after around 20/25 minutes, NYCFC really started to fly, taking the lead on 35â.
Vieira switched back to the more familiar 4-3-3 after the break, but Vieira told reporters after the game that keeping his players engaged by offering new challenges and tweaked roles was important to ensure tactical flexibility over the long course of a season.
Itâs been productive experimentation, too â City are six points better off than they were at this stage of last season and have ticked off a disproportionately high number of tough cross-Conference matches already in 2018âĤ
NYCFC Ironman
Finally, a shoutout for Alexander Callens who made his 50th appearance for City in all competitions last night.
Alexander had a quiet night with most of the game taking place at the other end of the pitch, but Vieira certainly wonât take his Peruvian warrior for granted.
Callens has been one of the first names on the teamsheet ever since his move in 2017 and he was part of a defense which kept its fourth home clean sheet of the year on Saturday night â a special way to bring up a half-century.
Hereâs to 50 more!
