NYCFC goalkeeper and captain Sean Johnson has labeled the club’s current losing streak as ‘unacceptable’.
The reigning MLS Cup champions fell 3-1 at home to Charlotte FC on Wednesday evening meaning they’ve failed to take a single point from their last three matches and just one from their last four.
Yael Averbuch West hosted none other than Christian Fuchs for the latest episode of Football Americana. The Charlotte FC captain provided insight into the creation of Major League Soccer’s newest expansion team, and bringing European culture into the American side.
This current slump is part of a wider drop-off in form since the departure of head coach Ronny Deila, who left for Standard Liege in June to be replaced by assistant Nick Cushing on an interim basis.
NYCFC should still be good for an MLS Cup Playoffs berth, but they’ll stand little chance of defending their title if they don’t improve soon.
“It’s honestly not a good moment for us as a group,” Johnson said. “Losing three in a row is unacceptable. We understand we have to put in performances since there are nine games left in the season.
“We can only look forward, but we have to figure out how to get things right. It’s not for a lack of effort, but we keep getting the same results. Ultimately we just have to figure out how to get over this hump once we figure out what it is.”
Cushing, meanwhile, has been keen to point out that NYCFC went through a similar rough patch between August and October last year before rallying to go all the way in the post-season.
“We were in this position last year when we had a bad spell,” he said. “That spell was a lot longer than it is now and we just have to stay together, keep working. And of course, when you win and you win a lot of games, people say you’re really good, and when you lose some games, it’s a catastrophe.
“We just need to concentrate. There’s a lot more games to play. We need to focus, regroup, recover, and move on to Chicago.”
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