9 Man NYIFC Comes From Behind to Defeat 10 Man Eintracht
Matchday 6 saw the Boys in Black and
Gold go up against bottom of the table SC Eintracht at Randall’s Island. The
Reserves side opened up the day with a comfortable 3-0 win and the Firsts hoped
to follow suit. SC Eintracht opened up the score line after capitalizing on
some miscommunication in the Lion’s back line despite the Boys having
substantial control of the match. It took until the opening 6 minutes for Josh
Dutosme to level the score. NYIFC took back control of the driver’s seat and
once again dominated possession and the tempo of the game. Chaos would break
out late in the second half, however, after Josh lightly body checked
Eintracht’s #10. The opposing player got up and what started off as yelling
escalated into shoving, and then exploded with punches being thrown by Eintracht and
members of both teams colliding. After the dust settled, despite not starting
the fight, NYIFC had two players sent off while Eintracht’s #10 saw his card, I
suppose that means we got the better shots in. NYIFC would get their
retaliation in the form of a match winning goal in the dying minutes from Alex
Teodorescu, whose pace was brilliant throughout the match saw him run through
the keeper and put it into the back of the net. The Lions have won back-to-back
matches, three in a row including the cup, and undefeated in 4 heading into
their match against Hoboken FC 1912 II.
The Pride: Incredibly
hard-fought match at the end, going down to 9 men. It looked like we were well
in control of the game, how encouraged is your team after fighting back from a
self-inflicted wound?
Chris Minty: Winning a game
right at the death is always encouraging, and yesterday was no exception. We
controlled the game from pretty much the first whistle and getting the
game-winner right at the end was well-deserved, even if we made it hard for
ourselves. That said, we can look back at this game and remember how we dug
deep and got the result—and that’s what matters.
P: Correct me if I’m wrong, but
this was Jan’s first match back this season. How much of his presence was felt
in the midfield today?
CM: It was Jan’s first
regular season game. He was a calming force in the midfield and seldom gave the
ball away. He’s a very intelligent player and it was brilliant to have him on
the field again.
P: We’ll be without Josh and Oz
for a tough away fixture in New Jersey this coming weekend. Do you see the team
appealing any fines or lengthy suspensions from the Eintracht match? How
thankful are you for the depth of the team and the possibility that a Reserves
player has a chance to really step up and make a statement?
CM: Missing both Josh and Oz
for at least two games each is a big loss. Josh has played almost every minute
of every game so far, scoring three and leading the team forward when we need
it. We likely won’t appeal as the process is complicated and we have to rely
solely on the referees’ report. We have a very deep squad, though, and we’ll
dip into it this weekend. Mylo Portas is a new signing this season and is
making an impact now. Same with Simon Zheng and Fernando Rosas. I know our
experienced lads will step up, too. Charlie Lopez, Aaron Forde, Adam Lee, Tom
Howse, along with new signings Idrissa Sanogo and Dan Cohen, will be ready.
P: You now have had a
convincing 5-0 Cup win sandwiched between 2 League wins. Are things beginning
to click with team and do you see this momentum carrying you on against
Hoboken?
CM: That’s right—three wins
on the bounce. With so many new players, it took a bit of time for us to get a
feel for each other. It’s coming together now and we’re excited to play
Hoboken. It’ll be a great test for us.
P: Any final thoughts from the
match day or any particular player stand out to you?
CM: Jan, or Wasi, as his
jersey said; he was brilliant. Charlie’s pass to Alex for the winner was
exceptional too. Not many players in the league could hit that and props to
Alex for the run.
As previously stated, the Lions will
make a long distance away trip to Laurel Hill Park in New Jersey to play
Hoboken FC 1912 II. The Reserves kick things off at 12PM and the Firsts
following after at 2PM. The newly added side has enjoyed a fair amount of
success this season going 3-1-1, standing out as a testament of a quality
self-sustaining structure with Hoboken 1912 major currently playing in the
EPSL. A win would see the firsts leapfrog over Hoboken, though the latter
would still have a match in hand.
Come on you Lions!!!
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