Alfredo Morales: At the end of the day, we have to make sure we do everything we can to win the game. (Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports)
After a disastrous homestand in which New York City FC accrued only one point in three matches, the team hits the road for a game at Real Salt Lake on Saturday night.
You might say the underachieving side has jumped from the frying pan into the fire because the Cityzens are winless in eight away contests (0-5-3). Game time is 9:39 p.m. ET on Apple+.
“We’re so desperate to get that win on the road,” head coach Nick Cushing said. “The motivation and the desire of the team is there. I saw it again in training this week. Although we didn’t win a home game, we have really high expectations about home games. We want to win them; this period we are going to have to fight, but we have to make sure that we play because if we give them some space, they’ll be a real dangerous team.”
City (4-7-5, 17 points) enters the match in 13th place, two points ahead of Inter Miami CF in the MLS Eastern Conference cellar and four points below the playoff line.
So, NYCFC has its work cut out for it, especially on the road. RSL (5-7-4, 19) is in ninth place, just above the playoff line in the Western Conference.
“This is the challenge in sports in general, especially in soccer,” midfielder Alfredo Morales said. “We’ve had very good performances, and this should give you confidence individually and the belief in our team and the belief in the system and the style we want to play. I am pretty sure we are very positive and very confident, and we are willing to do everything to finally get a win because we deserve one.
“Of course, you can find excuses; referees, excellent goalkeepers, performances, whatever. But I don’t really care. I think my teammates also really don’t care. At the end of the day, we have to make sure we do everything we can to win the game. We try to keep pushing. We know in soccer there are stretches or phases where you don’t get rewarded for what you put in, but it will come, and we’ve tried to prepare for Saturday and hopefully the day will come on Saturday.”
