3 things we learned from the road draw between NYCFC and Nashville SC | OneFootball

The road is not a kind place for New York City FC, so expectations were not high when the Bronx side traveled to Tennessee to battle it out with Nashville SC.  Entering Saturday’s match, the Pigeons had never won there and had lost all three of their road games against the Music City team.

While the Boys in Blue did not win, they did split the spoils with Nashville after a 2-2 draw.  A poor first half saw the team enter the locker room down 2-0.  But in the second half, they were much better offensively and defensively.  Plus, the clinical finish they lacked in the first half finally appeared in the second.

Hannes Wolf was the hero for NYCFC, for he scored both goals.  At first, it felt like the team would only have the one goal, and fans would still be complaining about the lack of the clinical finish.  Thankfully, the winger found the back of the net before the match ended to secure the tie for the Pigeons.  Keaton Parks headed the ball onto the ground, and it fell to Wolf, who kicked the ball into the goal.

It was still not perfect, but at least the team finally won their first point in Nashville.  Here are three things we learned from NYCFC’s game against Nashville SC.

3 things we learned from NYCFC's draw

3. Hannes Wolf has been redeeming himself

Wolf’s brace means that the winger has scored three goals in his last three games.  He has been performing a little better over the last few weeks, which is what NYCFC needs.

Truthfully, it has been easy to complain about Wolf.  Not only does he go through long periods where he does not score, but many of his passes and crosses into the box or towards his teammates are poor or lack accuracy.  His impact in the final third is often best described as dull.  As such, his production over the last few weeks has been a welcome aspect to his game.

The fact that he scored the brace against Nashville and then the comeback win against Chicago Fire FC means he is redeeming himself.  Of course, there is no guarantee he will continue to score or improve, but for now, he is.

2. The draw feels like a win for NYCFC

Again, NYCFC did not win, but the draw feels like they did.  Part of the reason why might lie with the fact they scored the tying goal in the 87th minute.  The Pigeons were on their way to another road loss, but did not give up.  Instead, they scored the second goal to tie the match.  Additionally, the team did not give up a third goal.

That is why the draw feels like a win.  These are rare and do not happen often.  However, one can appreciate the way the Boys in Blue fought back despite not earning all three points.

1. Four points was not good enough for NYCFC

Fans can be thankful for the draw against Nashville.  At the same time, one can recognize that the three-game week was a slight failure, for NYCFC went 1-1-1 and earned four points. The issue at hand is that they lost out on points in the loss to Houston Dynamo FC at home.

Now, if the Houston match was on the road, perhaps this week would have been easier to accept.  But the Pigeons should have earned no less than six points.

Again, that does not take away the accomplishment of earning a point in Nashville and doing so in a comeback fashion.  NYCFC deserves the praise.  Fans can also expect and demand more from the team.  Four points were not good enough.