3 things we learned from NYCFC's comeback win against Chicago Fire FC | OneFootball

After a fantastic Hudson River Derby win last weekend, New York City FC entered Sunday’s match against Chicago Fire FC seeking their second win in a row.  After a stronger second half, the Pigeons came back from being down 1-0 to win 3-1.

The comeback win was good for NYCFC.  However, they missed too many chances, especially in the first half.  With 21 shots and eight on target, the Boys in Blue probably should have had at least two more goals to their name.  In addition, there were a couple of periods in the second half that they allowed Chicago, who was down a player and later two, to have solid offensive chances.

As such, this was not NYCFC’s best performance by any means.  They still scored multiple goals and won with three goals for the first time.  As fans will remember, the last time the Bronx team was up 3-1 was in the Atlanta United FC game, in which the team lost 4-3.  So, scoring three and winning can do wonders for the team’s confidence.

There is plenty to discuss about the match.  Here are three things we learned from NYCFC’s win against Chicago Fire FC.

3 things we learned from NYCFC’s 3-1 win

3. The Mounsef Bakrar gamble actually worked

When Pascal Jansen brought Mounsef Bakrar on for the start of the second half, there was some confusion with the choice.  The striker has not been the player he was expected to be, struggling to score and impact games in positive ways.

Therefore, it was a gamble for the head coach to bring him on, for the Algerian usually does not help the team.  However, Bakrar shocked everyone by scoring the tying goal in the 58th minute.  The striker received a superb ball from Justin Haak in front of the goal, and he tapped it in, scoring a striker’s goal.  More times than not, he would have missed the shot.  Thankfully, that did not happen this time, and Bakrar sparked the beginning of the comeback.

In other words, Jansen’s gamble to bring the forward on so early worked out for NYCFC.  He was lucky, but sometimes the unlikeliest of players can step up to the plate and score.

2. NYCFC continues to dominate Chicago

Entering the game, NYCFC was unbeaten against Chicago in their last seven, going 4-0-3.  They last lost to the Fire in 2021, and two of their draws came last season.

Subsequently, this win means that the Pigeons continue to dominate Chicago in Major League Soccer.  While every game is not always dominated on the pitch, at the very least, they are dominant via their record and the fact that the unbeaten streak continues.

Although, when one looks at the statistics from the recent win, it is easy to declare that NYCFC was dominant throughout the fixture.  Still, there were flaws throughout the game, and Jansen must work on fixing the issues in training.  A win is a win, though, and earning three points is always a good thing.

1. Can NYCFC utilize the quick turnaround?

The busy month of May is almost over.  NYCFC has a quick turnaround though, and will play a midweek home game against Houston Dynamo FC.  It helps that the Boys in Blue do not have to travel, but can they utilize the quick turnaround in a positive manner?  Can they take what they did in the second half against the Fire and do the same against Houston?

This is why the quick turnaround helps NYCFC, for there is less time between matches where the Pigeons can lose that spark that woke them up to beat Chicago.  Ideally, Wednesday will result in another win.