AfterFacts: NYCvDC

Preface: Okay, I have some explaining to do before I start. About last week…sorry. 12 hour workdays are rough, but I’ve worked out my schedule this week so I will not miss a week like last week, AND I won’t be late like this week.

Okay, now, welcome to a new season of Facts After the Match, or if you didn’t catch it by now, it’s renamed to AfterFacts (I figured the former is too long to say). This week I pick a few (hopefully-obscure-and/or-not-said-before) facts coming out of New York City FC’s 4-0 KO over DC United, and what a treat for a freezing home opener!

1. This was our 15th home win, 26th overall, and also the 9th home win in the Patrick Vieira era, 16th overall.

2. NYCFC has scored 8 goals and conceded 2 in home openers.

3. This was the first home opener in which David Villa did not score the opening goal (Rodney Wallace, 8′).

4. The record for games in which NYCFC score 3 or more goals is 13W-2D-0L. The record for games in which NYCFC score 4 or more goals is 6W-1D-0L. The two draws were 3-3 away to Columbus last year, and 4-4 at home against Toronto in 2015. Simply put, when we score 3, we don’t lose.

5. The result is tied for largest margin of victory for NYCFC of a +4 goal differential, first achieved last year with a 5-1 home victory over Colorado. To add to that, this is the largest margin of victory for NYCFC with no goals conceded, with the next highest being several 2-0 wins.

6. Maximiliano Morález (who also holds the record of NYCFC’s Player with the Most Syllables in His Name) ties Villa’s record of a DP goal after only two appearances. Villa’s first goal was City’s first ever home goal, against New England in our inaugural home opener. Frank Lampard first scored after five appearances, part of a 2-0 home win against Toronto in 2015, and Andrea Pirlo had to wait 29 appearances before scoring his first for City, part of a 3-2 home win against Philadelphia last season. As it holds, when DP’s score their first NYCFC goal, the record is 4W-0D-0L, i.e. we always win!

7. According to whoscored.com, Villa was Man of the Match (we knew that already) getting a 9.7 rating. Morález was second with an 8.9, Matarrita was third with an 8.3. (Honourable mention to Rodney Wallace for getting fourth with an 8.1.)

8. (This one is an obvious fact, but I’m adding analysis. Bear with me.) DC United out-shot NYCFC 9-13, so we created less chances than we conceded, hence Vieira’s disappointment with the second half. However, we converted more chances than we conceded, so…I don’t know, am I the only one who thinks that converting is better than just creating (Exhibit A: last week)?

9. This was the first NYCFC win out of four that I actually got to witness firsthand! My record is now 1W-0D-3L, but I think my luck has finally changed…we’ll see on the 8th of April, when City come down here to play DC (for the last time this season, by the way…).

I promise I’ll be quicker next week for our match against Impact de Montréal.

“It was so cooooooooold! Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oooooooooh…”