Impact’s win streak ends on tiny field in Big Apple

There is no team in Major League Soccer that has a bigger home-field advantage than New York City FC.

Actually, no team has a smaller home-field advantage — but it’s a big thing.

So, it’s not a surprise NYCFC beat the Impact 3-0 Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium on goals by Jesus Medina in the 60th minute, Ronald Matarrita in the 65th and Jonathan Lewis in the 76th to remain unbeaten at home (90-1) and improve their overall record this season to 11-4-4. The Impact saw their four-game winning streak come to an end as they dropped to 8-12-0.

NYCFC’s home field is jammed into the outfield at Yankee Stadium, officially listed as being 110 yards long and 70 yards wide — the minimum requirement for MLS. The reason is the New York Yankees — who are among the investors in the soccer club that entered MLS as an expansion team in 2015 — refuse to dismantle the pitcher’s mound to give NYCFC more room for its pitch.

During NYCFC’s inaugural season, Sporting Kansas City coach Peter Vermes insisted the Yankee Stadium pitch is only 106 yards long and 68 yards wide after his team scored a goal off a long throwin into the 18-yard box to beat New York 1-0, saying it was more like a corner kick.

By comparison, the pitch at Montreal’s Saputo Stadium is 120 yards long and 77 yards wide.

The Impact had a big — but small — disadvantage Wednesday night, failing to get a single shot on target during the game.

“We’ll need to adapt to a smaller field, which favours duels quite a bit,” coach Rémi Garde said before the Impact headed to New York. “We’ll need to adapt and not refuse contact, while being vigilant, because it’s a team that can alter its style of play. A very complicated game awaits us.”

NYCFC dominated play during the first half with 65.9 per cent possession, but only had two shots on target against Impact goalkeeper Evan Bush, who had allowed only one goal during the four-game win streak.

NYCFC really started pushing forward in the second half, forcing Bush to make a couple of big saves off headers early and then a nice stop on a close-range blast from Maximiliano Moralez in the 55th minute.

Medina opened the scoring five minutes later when he created time and space for himself just outside the box before beating Bush with a left-footed blast that left the goalkeeper flat-footed.

Five minutes later, Matarrita scored on a left-footed chip shot from the side of the box over Bush’s head, then Lewis provided the final dagger with a header.

NYCFC finished the game with 68.7 per cent possession and seven shots on target, while their goalkeeper, Sean Johnson, played the role of spectator, watching the action without having to make a single save.

The Impact will be back in action Saturday night when the San Jose Earthquakes visit Saputo Stadium (7:30 p.m., TVA Sports, TSN Radio 690).