Starting XI

B+

Johnson didn’t have a whole lot to do this afternoon, but when he did, he held his own. Sean came off his lines when necessary and was able to pick off any dangerous cross into the box. Towards the end of the match, Orlando showed some desperation with hopeful shots outside the box, none of which troubled Sean. Won’t make the highlight reels but integral, nonetheless.

B-

Sweat was just okay, but we’re talking about a clean sheet so he gets a boost. His crossing could have been better and there were times his passing seemed a bit lackadaisical.

A-

Not everyone loves Chanot, and I get that. He’s brash, at times overly aggressive, and gives people smoosh-face when you try to blow by him. What’s smoosh face? See below.

B

The quiet defender. Callens put in his time, and did well to close down any Orlando advance.

B

Not a bad starting debut for Saad. A clean sheet is nothing to look over and he did start the sequence of play that led to Maxi’s goal. I just hope what’s every going on with Anton Tinnerholm isn’t long term.

B+

If you’re looking for Sacha Kljestan, check Ring’s back pocket. He’s probably still there. Ring switched speeds on the pitch and backtracked wonderfully to snipe out any advancing run by Justin Meram or Sacha. He also possessed the most forward passes next to Maxi on the day, as we’ve come to expect.

B

I go back and forth at least a hundred times watching Herrera out on the pitch. At times, his passing seems ineffectual, lazy, and lacking purpose. Other times, he sets up attacking runs that lead to eventual goals. The skill is there, the vision is progressing, and he might just develop into a real player right as he leaves for parent club, Manchester City.

A

Everything positive NYCFC did came through Maxi. We knew going into the match, as soon as we learned David Villa wouldn’t be available, someone would have to step up and be that spark. While we struggled to test Bendik for the first hour, anything we did do to trouble the Orlando back line was a credit to Maxi. Add a goal to the mix and you have your man of the match.

C+

Wallace had a wonderful heading opportunity around the 20th minute of the match that saw the ball rocket off the post. Other than that, he had one of the fewest touch totals on the field and disappeared constantly. He gets a plus for being on the winning side. Feeling generous today.

B+

This kid is going to be something special for us one day. He’s smooth, versatile, and possesses killer awareness. That dropoff pass for Maxi to fire into the net was a thing of beauty. Looking forward to seeing more of that all season long.

B+

In his starting XI debut for NYCFC, Tajouri desperately wanted to impress. Up until the 63rd minute, he mostly tried to keep up with the match. However, a dreadful error by City goalkeeper, Joe Bendik, allowed Tajouri an opportunity to showcase his patience and ability under pressure. Bendik awkwardly fumbled a rocketed backwards pass that found the foot of Tajouri, who took a slight step to his right, waited for his moment, and buried the goal putting NYCFC up 1-0.

Substitutions

N/A

Came on for Ismael Tajouri minutes after scoring the opening goal for NYC. Matarrita was only on the pitch for a few minutes before going down with what looks to be a fairly serious injury. With World Cup dreams coming down the pipeline, he left the pitch in tears.

C+

Entered the match out of necessity with Mata going down. Good to see Tommy Mac. Miss the headband though.

N/A

Came on for Maxi Moralez with minutes left in the match.