Despite their defeat to Orlando City on opening day, NYCFC’s performance was a far better representation of future matches than the result was. The New York side dominated much of this game and held the ball in Orlando’s half of the pitch for significant portions. They maintained over 70 percent possession of the ball and managed twice as many shots as their opponents.
The result did not do the flow of play justice that day.
The 1-0 defeat raised little concerns, as NYC were the dominant side and performed well. Performance generally is the focus during the early weeks of the season, as it demonstrates a team’s ability and more often than not corresponds to results throughout the course of the season.