NYCFC vs Club León preview: What direction will NYCFC go in? | OneFootball

When New York City FC found out who they would play in the Leagues Cup, it was thought that they could at least beat Club Puebla.  So, when they lost to the Mexican side on Tuesday, it was a little shocking.  Alas, the lineup put out can be blamed on the loss.  Plus, the Pigeons have unofficially been eliminated from moving on since only the top four teams from each league will make the next round.

Therefore, the question is which direction NYCFC will go in when they face Club León.  Will Pascal Jansen accept the fact that he messed up the team’s chance of fighting for the quarterfinals by starting other younger players?  Or will he put out his best lineup, or close to it?  Will the Boys in Blue be competitive?  Or will they play as if they already lost?

While the frustration of Tuesday’s loss is still lingering, it would be nice to see NYCFC try to compete.  León will be a tougher match, but if the Pigeons play their best, then they could come away with a win.

But will that happen?  Let’s take a look at the preview for NYCFC’s next Leagues Cup match against Club León.

NYCFC vs Club León preview

Date

NYCFC and Club León will play one another on Friday, August 1.

Time

The match will begin at 6:00 PM ET.

Location

The game will take place at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey.

How to watch

Fans can watch the Leagues Cup fixture on the MLS Season Pass via Apple TV.

Weather

After a few games of heat, it will be a little cooler on Friday evening.  It will be around 77 degrees and mostly cloudy.  The humidity will not be too low or too high, and the rain from earlier in the day should be completely gone.

Injury report

There is no injury report released for the Leagues Cup, but Malachi Jones (leg), Thiago Martins (leg), and Keaton Parks (leg) have all been out.

Players to watch

NYCFC supporters should watch Aiden O’Neill.  The midfielder did well to lead the midfield in the Puebla game.  Similar to Maxi Moralez, he conducted the flow of the middle third.  He also had some solid defensive moments.  Additionally, Keaton Parks will be out for some time.  Therefore, O’Neill and others must step up throughout the rest of the season.

Of course, James Rodríguez is the player to watch on Club León.  The Colombian star has one goal in three matches in the Liga MX thus far, which is already half of what he scored in the Clausura last season.  The player had six assists as well.  With half a season under his belt with his team, he should continue to adjust and be the star that he is.  The Pigeons must make sure that does not happen against them.

It is expected that NYCFC will fight for all three points. At the same time, the loss on Tuesday will take away the full drive, so the Pigeons will not be their best. But they will score this time around. The Boys in Blue and Club León will end regulation in a 2-2 draw. Thanks to Matt Freese, NYCFC will win the penalty kick shootout and give his team two points at the end.