Scoring issues return as NYCFC loses at home to Houston Dynamo FC | OneFootball

On Wednesday, New York City FC welcomed Houston Dynamo FC to the Bronx for a midweek game.  This was the Pigeons’ second game of three in seven days, and the last one at home during the busy month of May.  Sadly, they could not find the back of the net and fell 3-0 to the Dynamo.

Interestingly, Pascal Jansen put out the same Starting XI as Sunday.  It would have made sense for the head coach to rotate a few players, regardless of the fact that they will only play a couple of matches in June.  Plus, the team did not score against Chicago Fire FC until after a few substitutions were made.  Still, the lineup remained unchanged.

Meanwhile, NYCFC saw an old friend during the game, Gabriel Segal. The former Pigeon started as the striker for the Dynamo and was arguably problematic throughout the evening.

In fact, he scored two of Houston's three goals, which were all connected to NYCFC due to an own goal that set the tone for the Pigeons. It was not a good night for the home team, and it was not like they did not play well. Rather, the inability to score plagued them once again.

NYCFC falls 3-0 at home to Houston

From the opening whistle, they were ready to play, spending a lot of time in their attacking third.  When they did not have the ball, they worked hard to try to regain possession.  The issue at hand was that they struggled to get shots off.  In the first half, the Dynamo limited the home team to only three shots.  Those struggles would come back to bite them.

Unfortunately, NYCFC went down a goal in the 26th minute, and it was an own goal.  They failed to clear the ball, which allowed Jack McGlynn to send the ball into the box.  Justin Haak tried to clear, but instead directed the ball into the goal.

Still, the Boys in Blue continued to attack, but struggled to find the back of the net like they did in the first half against the Fire over the weekend.  But they also struggled to register shots.  Moreover, NYCFC almost allowed a second goal in the 41st minute.  Segal received a brilliant ball that allowed him to have nobody but Matt Freese in front of him.  But what did the goalkeeper do?  He came off his line, made himself big, and got the stop to keep the score 1-0.

But a careless defense in the 50th minute would ultimately give the visitors their second goal.  Erik Dueñas was given room, and he took his shot.  Freese made the initial save, but NYCFC’s old friend Segal pounced on the rebound to extend Houston’s lead.  Notably, Freese hurt his arm during the initial save and could not even try to stop the second shot.  He continued to play, though, making some wonder whether he powered through the rest of the match.

Then, NYCFC’s first shot on target did not come until the 58th minute.  Aiden O’Neill sent the ball right at Houston’s goalkeeper, Jonathan Bond.  It was an easy save, but this ultimately highlighted the Bronx team’s problems during the match.

Afterward, some periods of the fixture saw a lackluster effort from NYCFC.  Even Jansen’s substitutions failed to make an impact, and some might argue that he conceded early on by taking off Alonso Martínez and Maxi Moralez with 25 minutes plus stoppage time to go.  However, he made four changes at once, probably trying to change the game and also give some of his usual starters some rest.

Alas, nobody could find the back of the net.  Wednesday was eerily similar to their period when they struggled to score.  It does not help that they will end the week on the road either.  Additionally, they gave up a third goal at the end of the match, for Houston was awarded a penalty kick, and Segal put the ball past Freese.

What makes this game frustrating is that NYCFC led in multiple statistics and controlled the pace of play.  They also got better in the second half with their offensive effort, registering ten shots by the end of the night.  They were also at home, and this is now the third loss at Yankee Stadium.

One cannot predict the future, but NYCFC may continue to have an up-and-down season.  It is amazing how they have some superb wins and draws while also losing matches like the one against Houston.  So, fans might want to lock in, for the next few months will be long.