NYCFC opens the Coachella Valley Invitational with a 0-0 draw | OneFootball

On Wednesday, New York City FC opened up the Coachella Valley Invitational with a match against Sporting Kansas City. This was the third preseason game, with the Pigeons already drawing 2-2 against Real Salt Lake and beating the LA Galaxy 2-0.

This time around, no goals could be found, for NYCFC and Sporting KC played to a 0-0 draw.

The match began with NYCFC on fire, which was good to see in the preseason. It helped that many in the Starting XI were starters, so it was not surprising they started that way. The Boys in Blue kept getting the ball into or near the opposition's box, creating chances. Some of the passes were off though or attempts were lackluster.

That did not stop the attack, for they continued to fight to try and find the back of the net. Of course, there were times when the defense had to step up.

NYCFC played well despite 0-0 draw

There was a moment in the first half where NYCFC allowed Sporting KC to counter-attack, and the backline had to run back toward the goal to try and recover the ball. The Boys in Blue managed to get there to limit where Sporting could shoot, and eventually, Matt Freese grabbed the ball near the goal. This moment could have led to a goal in the past, but thankfully, it did not on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Strahinja Tanasijević received another start and played decently well. This was good to see since Glenn Crooks confirmed on the broadcast that Thiago Martins has been out with a calf injury. It is unknown how long the Brazilian will be out and whether he will miss the start of the season. After a not-so-great 2024, it would be helpful for Tanasijević to perform well in the backline.

After a full 45 minutes, NYCFC and Kansas City were scoreless. The offense looked good, but could not capitalize on their opportunities. Plus, the two teams did well to keep each other out of the back of the net.

In the second half, Pascal Jansen made a few changes changes at halftime to give some of the players a full half. NYCFC continued to attack, but Sporting KC clearly had more chances compared to the first 45 minutes.

With about a third of the game left, Birk Risa appeared to have gone down injured, and Prince Amponsah subsequently came on for the center-back. Although, there were a few players ready to come on, so perhaps he would have been substituted on regardless.

As Jansen made the substitutions, the team got younger and more inexperienced. Still, they held their own and continued to find chances. One of the best opportunities of the fixture came from Mounsef Bakrar, whose header at the goal in the second half was hit with force, but ultimately saved by Sporting KC's goalkeeper.

Notably, there was a scare at the end of the game. A penalty kick was given to Sporting after Tomás Romero supposedly tripped up a player in the box. It looked like the NYCFC keeper got a hand on the ball, but with a lack of replay and no VAR, it was difficult to tell. Still, Mason Toye stepped up for the opposing team and took the penalty kick. Thankfully, he sent the ball wide, and the match remained level.

As a result, the Pigeons ended the first CVI fixture in a 0-0 draw. The result was not ideal, but there was some promising play from NYCFC. Since fans can watch the remaining three fixtures, they will be able to see whether the team improves even more.