Any point is valuable in MLS, and the Fire are indeed happy to have grabbed one in a 2-2 draw Friday at New York City FC. But allowing two goals, both in added time and against 10 men, makes it tougher to be satisfied. Fire head coach Frank Yallop is tired of using the word “frustrated” to describe his feelings, but he hasn’t found a much better way to put it.
“We should’ve seen them off,” Yallop said Monday via teleconference. “Let’s be honest. We were in their box, even in the last 10 minutes, four times where if we pick the last pass out correctly, we score. I don’t think it’s from lack of trying. It really isn’t, because our guys have kept going, and they’re trying to do the right things. We watched the tape of the game, and there are so many positives with our play.”
That’s what made Friday’s result especially tough to swallow. Early on, Yallop was very impressed with the way his team was overlapping, getting in good spots and creating chances. Then the home team went down to 10 men for RJ Allen’s challenge on a streaking David Accam, and the opportunities just kept coming.
Late in the game, it was the Men in Red who were threatening to score. Yallop thought that not only should his team have won, but the score probably should’ve been more lopsided. The Fire simply couldn’t finish chances and weren’t able to stop the flow of NYCFC’s passing late on.
“We could’ve scored five goals in 10 minutes,” Yallop said. “There’s two things that didn’t quite go right in that play. We had a chance to score; we didn’t score. Then we allowed them to score.”
There’s not one area of the team on which he is placing blame. It’s not just on the goalkeeper or the back four to prevent goals. It’s everyone’s responsibility.
“Giving up any kind of goal is always concerning,” Yallop said. “It doesn’t seem like the teams we’re playing against have to really open us up and create an unbelievable goal. We seem to be giving up softish goals. The thing for me is making sure we’re on the same page.”
And on the other end, he is looking for his natural center forwards to get in a groove. All four of them -- Quincy Amarikwa, Guly do Prado, Kennedy Igboananike and Jason Johnson -- are all looking for their first goals of the season.
If Friday's close-range strike from Johnson or cheeky back-heel from Amarikwa had found the target, maybe those fortunes change. But Yallop says he’s looking for one of those guys to take charge and step up.
“It’s up to one of those guys to say, ‘I want the spot, and I want to score goals,’” Yallop said. “It’s easy saying it. They’ve just got to do it, and they’re up for it.”
Yallop spoke like a coach who knows the Fire played more than well enough to earn three points and should have done so. Still, he understands that the team is in good shape, and the current problems are fixable.
“Am I concerned?” he said. “No, we’re addressing it every day, and every training session’s working on it. I want to see it come out in a game.”
MORE MONDAY NOTES:
– Razvan Cocis got his first start of the season Friday at Yankee Stadium, and Yallop was happy with what he saw. The Romanian midfielder brings a unique attacking style to his position, and that was seen in his tremendous header over the outstretched arms of NYCFC goalkeeper Josh Saunders in the 14th minute.
“I like Razvan,” Yallops said. “He’s obviously getting back to full fitness. I think he has a goal threat in him. We saw that on Friday.”
– As Yallop looks for a scoring punch, Mike Magee continues to near his return. The star forward is now back to full training, and though he will not be available Friday against Columbus Crew, Yallop said Magee is not far away. Starting May 30, the Fire will play three games in eight days. The hope is that Magee will be on the field before that stretch ends against Orlando City.
“If we can get Mike on the field and get him back to his best, then we have a really, really, really good player who’s going to join us,” Yallop said.
He also pointed out the importance of getting Patrick Nyarko back. The Ghanaian winger isn’t as close to returning from injury as Magee, but Yallop is just as excited to get him back as he is about Magee.
“That’s two guys penciled in from last year to keep because they’re good players,” Yallop said. “We’ve not had the services of them yet. Once we get the full squad healthy and fit and ready to go, then we can sort of adjust how we are and what we’re doing.”
– Michael Stephens returned to action Friday in a substitute role and did well to help create chances late in the game. Typically a central midfielder, Yallop put Stephens on the right side, where he often played for the L.A. Galaxy. No decision has been made yet about whether the 26-year-old will start at Columbus.
“I thought he did fine,” Yallop said of Stephens’ performance. “I’ll make a decision later in the week to see if he starts. I thought Razvan and Matt Polster did well in the middle of the park. We’ll see.”
Yallop also addressed a report from the Italian publication CalcioMercato.com stating that Stephens is garnering interest from Serie A club Fiorentina. Team representatives will reportedly be in the U.S. in July to watch Stephens, Orlando City SC’s Amobi Okugo and Sporting Kansas City’s Erik Palmer-Brown. Yallop heard this for the first time on his teleconference.
"If there is interest, well done,” Yallop said with a laugh. “Could you tell him to call me?”
