A 15th minute goal from Orlando talisman Cyle Larin was enough to give the Lions all three points in the opening game of their brand new stadium.
Despite the defeat, there were plenty of positives to take away from the match. Here are our top takeaways from NYCFC’s opening fixture of the season.
Despite the loss, NYCFC were the dominant side
New York City played their style of football– they built up through the back, utilized their midfield maestros (Andrea Pirlo and Maxi Moralez), dominated possession, and looked far the better side. They had 70% of the possession in the 30 minutes following the Larin goal, but were ultimately undone by a string of terrific Joe Bendik saves.