AGONY OF DE- FEET
The Mets aren’t the only blueclad team in town being decimated by injuries. They’re just the only team finding a way to win despite them. Sunday saw New York City FC lose yet another player, and yet another match on a late goal.
Tony Taylor suffered a serious knee injury, and New York City FC suffered a toughluck 10 loss to Portland. They continued their maddening trend of coughing up late goals, this one Dairon Asprilla’s shot that took an unfortunate deflection off Kwame Watson-Siriboe and stretched their winless skid to five straight games.
For a team that was already without four starters due to injury — including star David Villa— and surrendered a fourth lategame tally that cost it points, it’s just the way NYCFC’s luck has gone lately.
“It’d be nice if we can get a deflection to go. I’d take anything right now,’’ said a rueful Chris Wingert. “We’re hitting a tough patch right now.’’
That tough patch was encapsulated by the image of Asprilla’s 78thminute shot taking a deflection off WatsonSiriboe, starting because of an injury to centerback Jason Hernandez. The ball left keeper Josh Saunders completely helpless, and he could only lie prone on his back.
As Asprilla celebrated with backflip after backflip, Saunders could only lie and stare in disbelief at the replay on the scoreboard in rightcenter field. But there was no help to be found there, not after another lategame goal in front of 21,891 at Yankee Stadium saw NYCFC fall to seventh in the East ( 133, 6 points).
“Yeah, you obviously have patches where you get a little bit unlucky, and later in the year, you hope the ball bounces your way,’’ Saunders said.
“Two or three people were around the ball. I tried to block a shot and it hit off my right foot and bounced in,’’ WatsonSiriboe said. “Right now with everything that’s going on we just need to stay focused, continue to practice hard and I think things are going to start going our way.’’
They surely haven’t yet. Their history had started by conceding Kaka’s deflected 91stminute equalizer in Orlando, then allowed a 92ndminute winner in a loss at Philadelphia, surrendered an 86thminute equalizer to the Union in a tie at home, and Sunday was more of the same pain.
And it’s not the only kind of pain NYCFC is going through, their roster stretched thinner than a model in the Meatpacking District. Taylor’s left knee bent backwards without any contact, and he was taken off the field on a stretcher in the 35th minute with what coach Jason Kreis said was possible ligament damage.
Villa ( hamstring), Hernandez ( quad), midfielder Mix Diskerud ( ankle), and rightback Josh Williams ( adductor) were all hurt, as wasWilliams’ backup Shay Facey, while Adam Nemec was benched after notching no goals or assists in five starts.
Taylor, Khiry Shelton and Patrick Mullins started up top in a 433 that was faster, younger and more direct than the usual lineup. NYCFC outshot Portland 2112, but put only five on goal. Mehdi Ballouchy had a shot saved by a defender, Mullins a shot saved in the 58th and sending a header high in the 78th.
“Mehdi had the same exact shot and it went off a guy and out of bounds. Theirs went in the back of the net. It’s just one of those things, one of the days you look back woulda, shoulda, coulda,’’ said Jeb Brovsky.
“For whatever reason right now, I honestly feel — I hate saying this, but I’m going to say it — I think we’re getting quite unfortunate, unlucky,’’ Kreis said. “I have to believe that over the course of the season we’ll get some luck on our side and this will all level out.’’