’Drea to forget
Pirlo's error end NYCFC's unbeaten streak
New York City FC lost the game and its unbeaten streak.
And Andrea Pirlo lost the plot, a great player making an egregious play.
NYCFC fell 1-0 to visiting Portland at Yankee Stadium on Saturday, snapping a five-game undefeated run. And the only goal — a 44th minute Diego Valeri goal — came off a Pirlo turnover, one that saw the venerable Italian midfielder essentially quit playing as his team conceded.
NYCFC fell to 15-8-5, staying at 50 points for second in the Eastern Conference. But they lost ground on league-leading Toronto, which routed San Jose 4-0 behind a pair of goals by striker Jozy Altidore — whose girlfriend Sloane Stephens won the U.S. Open at almost the same time.
It was a huge lost opportunity for NYCFC, suffering only their second home defeat all season and falling nine points behind Toronto in the Supporters’ Shield race with just six games left in the regular season.
“We are not going to catch them because of the way they played we are too far behind,’’ said NYCFC coach Patrick Vieira, whose team had gone 4-0-1 over their last five. But with MLS’ current leading scorer and reigning MVP David Villa out with an adductor injury, the offense lacked bite. Then Pirlo betrayed the defense. Darren Mattocks dispossessed Pirlo of the ball, and the midfielder — who has often been benched this year, and was playing because of Yangel Herrera’s absence — turned to the referee, threw his arms up in the air and slapped his thighs in frustration, complaining for a foul call that never came.
Meanwhile, with the play going on behind him, Mattocks easily slid a pass tot he side to Valeri, who slotted home his 17th goal of the season.
“These things happen,’’ keeper Sean Johnson said. “At the end of the day they were excellent getting to goal and finishing. We had the same opportunities they had. Twice in the first half we nicked balls in possession and turned it into opportunities, but weren’t able to convert.
“Things happen over the course of a game. … It’s every player’s job to have the next player’s back, and we tried to do that, it just didn’t come off for us.”
It was, frankly, a bad look from a good player. Pirlo is a 38-year-old with a World Cup, two UEFA Champions League trophies, and a $5.9 million salary — one of the five largest in MLS. But he’s looked old and slow at times this year, often benched for Herrera. This won’t help his cause.
As soon as Vieira finished addressing the team, Pirlo left without speaking to the media.
Johnson’s seven saves — including a diving fingertip gem to rob Valeri in the 77th minute — kept it close. But NYCFC couldn’t overcome the one gaffe.
“It happens,’’ Vieira said. “Everybody [loses] the ball. And it happened that this time it’s Andrea. So many players have lost the ball in a difficult area. It happened that we conceded a goal. This is part of a game. You make a mistake you get punished straightaway.
“We have players who made mistakes or make bad decisions, and sometimes it costs you goal. But that is not the reason why we lost the game.”