NYCFC is swept by CF Montréal after team loses to the last-place team again | OneFootball

When New York City FC went on the road to face CF Montréal, the team was without Head Coach Pascal Jansen.  The club said he was in Europe for personal reasons and did not reveal more than that.  As such, the Pigeons were led by longtime assistant coach Mehdi Ballouchy.  He could not earn his first win as the acting head coach, for the Boys in Blue lost 1-0.

Surprisingly, the team had the same lineup as they did in their win over Atlanta United FC.  Yes, that team won 4-0, but Tayvon Gray and Mitja Ilenič were available.  Instead, Strahinja Tanasijević started over both of them, and he has more games where he has caused problems than good ones.

This time, he was decent, but it was surprising nevertheless.  It was also interesting that NYCFC went with the more offensive lineup by playing three wingers and a striker.  The team knows the road is not always a good place for them, which is why a more conservative Starting XI away from home can be helpful.  Truly, Ballouchy recognized this after he sent Jonathan Shore on for the second half and took out Agustín Ojeda.

Still, NYCFC could not score.  Similar to the last meeting, they lost 1-0, and have been swept by CF Montréal.  To add to the sorrows, the Pigeons have now lost three in a row against the Canadian team, which they previously lost only twice before last year’s loss.

NYCFC suffers another disappointing loss

The match first started where fans would have thought NYCFC was the last-place Eastern Conference team.  CF Montréal dominated play and spent too much time in and around the Pigeons’ box.  Eventually, the Boys in Blue began to maintain more possession, and the game became more competitive.

However, the team that played against Atlanta United was missing in action.  That dominance and the goals that led to the win were needed to secure points on the road.  Instead, NYCFC found themselves down a goal in the 23rd minute.  Victor Loturi scored for the home side after the Boys in Blue failed to successfully clear the ball.  Loturi took his shot from outside the goal, and Tomás Romero could not get the stop. That would be the lone goal on the night.

It was clear the visitors were a little unsure of themselves.  There were a few solid chances in the game, but they lacked anything concrete.  There were also too many instances where Montréal stole the ball from them in the final third.  The Pigeons lacked consistency with some of their passing, and that hurt their ability to take more chances.

That did not help entirely, though, for many of their chances were lackluster and not very threatening.  Mounsef Bakrar was also sadly back to his poor self, for his play reminded fans of his struggles that he tends to have.  He probably should have come off sooner than when he did in the 73rd minute.  Seymour Reid came on for the Algerian and arguably had a better performance in his brief stint.

Overall, the changes made in the second half did improve NYCFC’s play, but they still could not find the back of the net.  The inconsistency this season is one of the main reasons why the Boys in Blue are struggling to stay above the playoff line.  On paper, they should have a few more wins under their belt, and this includes Saturday’s game.

Plus, NYCFC will enter a busy July that will see the majority of the Major League Soccer games away from home.  The road is already a difficult place, and this was a match they could have done more.  Once again, it was a disappointing result.