New York City FC have a lot on their plate going into Saturday’s matchup against Eastern Conference-leading Atlanta United.
NYCFC is coming off of yet another lopsided 4-0 loss at the hands of the rival New York Red Bulls in Wednesday’s U.S. Open Cup match. French reports continue to indicate Patrick Vieira’s potential departure to OGC Nice of France’s Ligue 1. Toss in the season-ending ankle injury to midfielder Yangel Herrera with the fact that a win on Saturday pushes the Blues to the top of the East and MLS standings, and the club’s current situation looks more and more like a dramatic documentary.
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NYCFC (8-3-3, 27 points) have won just two of their last five matches. However, those wins were against dead-last Colorado Rapids and a struggling Orlando City SC side. Their last win against a potential playoff side came back on April 11 against Real Salt Lake, who currently are third in the West. The club hasn’t found the consistency it had when the season started with a seven-game unbeaten streak, trading wins and losses through their last four total matches.
The Blues and Atlanta (9-3-2, 29 points) played to a tough 2-2 draw in Georgia on April 15. Both teams traded scores back and forth, with NYCFC recovering from a one-goal deficit twice — thanks to goals from David Villa and Alex Ring — in that match to preserve the point.
