It’s a home away from home for New York City FC.
Whether this is a preview of the team’🐻s future as it continu🅘es to search for a permanent home within the five boroughs, NYCFC will play their biggest “home” match against the Columbus Crew on Sunday at Citi Field in Queens to determine when and where their forthcoming playoff match will be.
If NYCFC can beat streaking Columbus, unbeaten in their past nine matches, they would clinch second ꦿplace in the East and play host to the second match of the conference semifinals scheduled at Yankee Stadium on Nov🦄. 1.
NYCFC caught a break when the Yankees were eliminated from the playoffs with a 4-0 loss to the Astros in Game 7 of the ALCS on Saturday night. Th𒉰ey avoided a third possible push out of the Stadium.
Despite the Yankees’ elimination, NYCFC will still play their final home match at Citi Field. When NYCFC played Houston Dynamo tಞo a 1-1 draw in East Hartford, Conn., last month, they did it in front of a few thousand fans. But with the team expecting to be close to the 20,000 allocated tickets for Citi Field, it should feel much more like a home game even if it isn’t at Yankee Stadium.
“Wherever we are, whether it’s home or away, we prepare the same way,” NYCFC goalkeeper Sean Johnson said. “We know it’s a big game, but we’ve played i🔜n big games before♓.”
Conceivably, if NYCFC lost to Columbus, currently the fifth seed, NYCFC could potentially fall into Columbus’ spot🔯 depending on the results of Atlanta United and Chicago’s games. A fifth-placed finish would push NYCFC to a sinꦯgle-match elimination game on the road, but if NYCFC fall to third or fourth, that could open the door for a home match on Oct. 25 or 26.
Playoff conundrums aside, NYCFC have placed themselves in this position because of their lack of scoring. Their attacking hiccup has produced just seven goals in their last eight games, and♓ with destiny in their hands Sunday🍒, coach Patrick Vieira wants to see more from his team.
“The focus is always ꦉto try to play well and to create chances because those chances🔥 will give you more chances to win [soccer] matches,” Vieira said.
Winger𒈔 Jack Harrison has been ruled eligible to play against Columbus on Sunday after an independent revie🦩w panel removed Harrison’s one-game suspension and fine.
Harrison received a red card in the 26th minute in NYCFC’s 2-1 loss last week against New England for his two-f𒅌ooted challenge on Revolution midfielder Teal Bunbury.
Defender Maxime Chanot remains sidelined. … Midfielder James Sands and the United States under-17 national team were eliminated from the World Cup in India on Saturday. The U.S. lost to England, 4-1.