3 things we learned from NYCFC's Leagues Cup win against Club León | OneFootball

There is no question that this season has been interesting for New York City FC.  The lack of consistency can be to blame, but there have been surprising wins and losses.  This week has been a great example, as the Pigeons lost to Club Puebla in the first game of the Leagues Cup.  Then, with uncertainty surrounding the team, the Boys in Blue beat Club León 2-0.

Of course, the difference in the lineups influenced the two games, for Alonso Martínez, Maxi Moralez, and Kevin O’Toole were back in the Starting XI.  The play from the Pigeons was better on Friday night, and they actually scored.  Martínez and Agustín Ojeda both found the back of the net in the first half, and that was enough to secure the win.

In fact, Ojeda’s goal was a great one and featured brilliant passing.  Martínez might have earned the assist after his beautiful sweep to the Argentine.  But it was Nicolás Fernández Mercau’s run toward the box and through-ball pass to Martínez that made all the difference.  The way he gracefully moved to get into the perfect passing position and maintained possession is a reason to be excited about the player.

With more to talk about, here are three things that we learned from NYCFC’s win over León.

Matt Freese saves another penalty kick

NYCFC fans know how good Matt Freese is between the sticks.  But this year, USMNT fans got to see the goalkeeper’s talent during the Gold Cup, especially during the penalty kick shootout against Costa Rica.  In that match, he made three saves in the shootout to send the Stars and Stripes into the semifinals.

So, in the game against Club León, the opposing side was awarded a penalty in the second half.  James Rodríguez stepped up to take the kick for his team, but the Colombian star did not impact Freese.  As such, Rodríguez kicked the ball to the goalkeeper’s left, forcing an immediate reaction.  Despite the power, the NYCFC star stopped the ball and kept his clean sheet alive.

Overall, Freese had four saves on the night.  He was brilliant between the sticks, but it helps that his defense was much better this time around.

Nicolás Fernández Mercau is great for NYCFC

As mentioned, Fernández Mercau was a major reason why Ojeda scored the second goal for NYCFC.  His movement in the midfield highlighted how he can play as the number ten.  But he also played on the wings with Moralez as the attacking midfielder against León.

The Argentine has only played with NYCFC for three games, but has already contributed to two goals.  He might not have the assist from Friday, but the midfielder’s contribution to the goal will not go unnoticed.

NYCFC should have scored more goals

The Pigeons scored twice, but really they should have scored more.  They had more shots against Club Puebla.  However, the team had eight of nine shots on target on Friday.  This showed they were not just shooting to shoot.  They were focused and made good choices of when to try and score.

Alas, Óscar Francisco Jiménez kept his team in the game, making six saves for Club León.  He kept the Boys in Blue from scoring more goals.  In other games, NYCFC would have added a few more by the end of the fixture.

It was not like the shots were weak.  NYCFC had some great chances that were prevented from finding the back of the net thanks to good defensive work.  At least they were strong defensively, too, and the two goals were enough.