Colorado Rapids are yet to score or concede a goal after completing their second successive 0-0 draw. NYCFC had trouble with the altitude from as early as 25 minutes in, and finished with ten men after debutant Shay Facey was dismissed for a second yellow in the 82nd minute.
In truth it was an unattractive display from Major League Soccer’s sexiest franchise against perhaps the least fashionable team in the Western Conference for whom there was no start for Marcelo Sarvas who was relegated to the bench. Marlon Hairston and Dillon Serna were missing, the latter with a shoulder problem. Drew Moore was still fighting a fitness battle, all of which added to the unrecognisability of the home side.
Manchester City’s Shay Facey replaced Josh Williams at right back who had an unspecified training injury. Sebastian Velasquez started in front of Facey. The altitude proved to be a big challenge for the young Englishman. As early as 25 minutes in, he was resting his hands on his knees between plays.
In the 14th minute, David Villa managed to put a free kick out of play BEFORE it even reached the penalty area to the hilarity of the home crowd. It was to be symptomatic of a poor and somewhat sullen day for the Spaniard. At the other end, the lively Marc Burch got much closer from 25 yards with the shot just beating Josh Saunders’ post.
Whereas the three former Real Salt Lake players Chris Wingert, Velasquez and Ned Grabavoy were surviving the altitude, by half time NYCFC were already showing signs of suffering, taking their time at restarts.
Referee Sorin Stoica did a fine job in resisting the urge to pander to Villa who complained about (and to) his marker Axel Sjoberg once too often and for Talking Out of Turn. Nonetheless he brought the best out of Clint Irwin diving low in the Rapids goal two minutes later.
One New Yorker who should have had no trouble with the conditions was City’s supersub Khiry Shelton, a Colorado native who entered in the 60th minute for the ineffective Nemec. Still it was the home side who were marginally more creative with Gabriel Torres missing the game’s best chance on 62 when firing straight at Saunders.
Stoica was correct at the only major call of the game. An exhausted Facey brought down substitute Juan Ramirez just outside the NYCFC box. Facey had been booked already and the referee dismissed the Mancunian in the 83rd minute for his English Sunset. It would have been a soft straight red but was an undeniable yellow. Kwame Watson-Siriboe came on with Mix Diskerud making way. NYCFC fans must now wait on news of the seriousness of Josh Williams’ injury before the home game with Sporting KC.
If the altitude hadn’t already convinced NYCFC to play for a 0-0 draw, then the red card did. Saunders was booked for time wasting, and the board that had shown a minimum of four minutes was altered to five. Wingert was also booked for delaying a throw in during that five minutes.
NYCFC remain unbeaten after three games and still remain On the Threshold of a Dream but nothing from their trip to Colorado will make their season highlight reel. It may be a Prelude to greater things in the Blue World.
Mr Stoica, Marc Burch and Sam Cronin however earned extra ice cream with their dinner. Hopefully though, this was definitely not The Very Best of The Moody Blues.
Colorado
Lineups:
Colorado Rapids: Clint Irwin; Marc Burch, Axel Sjoberg, Shane O’Neil, Michael Harrington; Lucas Pittinari, Sam Cronin (c) Vicente Sanchez (Marcelo Sarvas 78’), Gabriel Torres, Dillon Powers (Juan Ramirez 73’) , Dominique Badji (Carlos Alvarez 59’)
Unused substitutes: Zac MacMath, Nick LaBrocca, Jared Watts, Ben Newman
TOTAL SHOTS: 21; SHOTS ON GOAL: 7; FOULS: 12; OFFSIDE: 3; CORNER KICKS: 8; SAVES: 2 .
New York City FC:.Josh Saunders, Shay Facey , Jason Hernandez, Chris Wingert, Jeb Brovsky Sebastian Velasquez (Javier Calle 71’), Mix (Kwame Watson-Siriboe 85’) , David Villa (c), Ned Grabavoy, Andrew Jackobson, Adam Nemec (Khiry Shelton 61’)
Unused substitutes: Akira Fitzgerald, Kwadwo Poku, Patrick Mullins, Mehdi Ballouchy
TOTAL SHOTS: 9 SHOTS ON GOAL: 2 ; FOULS: 11 ; OFFSIDE: 2 ; CORNER KICKS: 1 ; SAVES: 7.
Referee: Sorin Stoica
Referee’s Assistants: Jonathan Johnson, Jason White
4th Official: Younes Marrakchi
Attendance: 17,692
