Sunday’s 2-0 loss in Toronto was maddening for reasons beyond simply the scoreline:
Not only did NYCFC not play the kind of soccer that earned them a first-round bye and the second seed in the Eastern Conference— they didn’t even try to.
Let’s face it, Patrick Vieira wasn’t playing to win; he was playing not to lose.
The gaffer shelved Frank Lampard for a whole hour. Tommy McNamara didn’t see the field at all. Without any creative support, David Villa was on an island, and never managed to play his way into the game. The midfield trio of Andoni Iraola, Federico Bravo, and Mikey Lopez provided the tough, physical play you’d expect, but that’s not a winning recipe when you consider everything we’ve learned about NYCFC this year.