3 things we learned as NYCFC beat Nashville SC thanks to Alonso Martínez | OneFootball

After a rough run in the Leagues Cup and the postponement of the Columbus Crew match, New York City FC finally resumed Major League Soccer play against Nashville SC.  It was a game full of drama, great goals, and some solid defensive work from the Pigeons.  When the final whistle blew, the Bronx side came out on top, beating Nashville 2-1.

At first, it felt like it was going to be one of those matches that NYCFC would struggle in.  They did not come out ready to play, and the visitors were in charge during the first ten to 15 minutes.  Nashville even opened the scoring in the 10th minute, when Jacob Shaffelburg scored.

But NYCFC fought tooth and nail and had one of their stronger performances of the season.  Andrés Perea tied the game in the 39th minute, but it was Alonso Martínez who won it for the Boys in Blue, scoring an incredible goal as he fell in the 77th minute.

After a great win, there is a lot to talk about.  Hence, here are three things we learned from the match between NYCFC and Nashville.

Alonso Martínez was the hero

With the exception of the goal given up, NYCFC played a good game against the Music City team.  But their star forward, Martínez, did not show up until the second half.  He did not register a shot until the 51st minute.  From that point on, the Costa Rican woke up and had four shots on the night, with two on target.

Thankfully, one of those shots ended up in the back of the net, and Martínez became the hero for NYCFC.  His goal won the match for them, but it was how he did it that was absolutely incredible.

Agustín Ojeda, who came on as a substitute, sent the ball across the goal, and Martínez ran up to make contact with the ball.  But as he moved toward the goal, he fell.  However, his foot made contact with the ball, and he forced it into the goal.  This was despite being surrounded by defenders, too.

Martínez was the hero of the game and arrived at the right time.

The weather delay did not bother NYCFC

The match was suspended toward the end of the first half due to lightning in the area.  There were thunderstorms around the city, so it was important to keep everyone safe.  But, how would NYCFC respond to the delay?

When play resumed, there was a short period toward the end of the first half when Nashville was threatening and outplaying the home side.  However, when the team came out for the second half, they continued to attack, seeking that second goal.  So, it was good that the weather delay did not influence NYCFC.  The players knew what they had to do, and they did enough to earn all three points.

NYCFC is on a solid run in MLS

As mentioned, this was a good game for NYCFC.  The Bronx team competed with one of the best sides in the Eastern Conference, and similar to the comeback draw in Tennessee, the team had a comeback.  But this time, they earned the win.

As such, when one looks past the disappointment of the Leagues Cup, NYCFC is on a good run in Major League Soccer.  Since the 2-2 draw with Nashville, the Pigeons are 5-2-2 in the last nine games.  This includes the four-game road trip, in which the side went 2-1-1.

Sunday’s win over Nashville was a much-needed one since NYCFC wanted to begin the final stretch of the games with a win.  They also played well compared to some of the other wins, which were ugly regardless of the positive result.  Hopefully, this positive run will continue in the weeks to come.