New York City FC’s (NYCFC) winless run continued Sunday afternoon as Pascal Jansen’s side slumped to a listless 2-0 defeat against DC United at Citi Field to make it seven straight league games without a victory.
Goals from DC United striker Louis Munteanu in either half proved the difference in a dismal game in Queens, taking advantage of some slack marking to open the scoring just shy of the half-hour mark and sealing victory from the penalty spot after Keaton Parks was harshly penalized midway through the second half.
Jansen’s side came into Sunday’s game off the back of a morale-boosting 3-1 win over Red Bull New York in the US Open Cup midweek but produced yet another insipid league performance as they fell to a fifth defeat in seven MLS games.
“I can guarantee it is not a nice atmoshere in the dressing room at the moment,” Jansen said after Sunday’s defeat. “We consider ourselves to be a winning organization.”
It is a scenario that would have been difficult to imagine after NYCFC opened its campaign with 10 points to go top of the Eastern Conference, but the Boys in Blue have mustered just two points in the seven games.
In several of those games, however, NYCFC could blame a combination of misfortune or bad finishing. That was not the case on Sunday, with the hosts failing to create a single chance of note despite dominating possession in an incredibly limited display up front.
NYCFC faced few chances themselves but proved far too soft defending long throw ins, which caused chaos in the home penalty area and led to both DC goals.
“We got ourselves into a bit of trouble with throw-ins,” Jansen said. “You have to defend those moments with your life.
“Coming off a strong game against Red Bull, we expected more from today.”
Chances were few and far between in a drab first half, but the hosts could have taken an early lead when Agustín Ojeda chased down a long ball and flashed an effort across the face of goal with DC ‘keeper Sean Johnson scrambling.
DC, meanwhile, was largely restricted to shots from range, with Munteanu going closest with a speculative 25-yard half-volley that whistled past Matt Freese’s post.
But set pieces have been NYCFC’s achilles heel this season and so it proved again on Sunday, with the visitors taking the lead just shy of the half-hour mark when a long throw caused havoc in the home penalty area. Kai Trewin failed to clear his lines, with Munteanu on hand to prod home from close range after the ensuing pinball.
The hosts offered little by way of response, with Nicolás Fernández Mercau registering their first shot on target on 38 minutes when he whipped a free kick toward the top corner. Johnson was alert to claw the effort away without too much difficulty.
NYCFC’s creative problems continued after the interval, with Fernández Mercau again going closest with a fierce long-range shot that Johnson was able to beat away with relative ease.
In reality, DC looked the more threatening and could have extended their lead on 72 minutes when Freese raced out of his area to clear a long ball but got the clearance all wrong. Munteanu could not find the empty net from distance, however.
The hosts once again failed to clear their lines from the resulting throw-in, with Parks harshly adjudged to have pulled down Lucas Bartlett in the area. Referee Ismail Elfath pointed straight to the spot, with Munteanu sending Freese the wrong way to double the DC advantage with 15 minutes remaining.
“It’s very, very hard for me to understand what happened,” Jansen said. “I don’t think it was worth a pen.”
NYCFC struggled to test Johnson in the closing stages as what was already a modest Citi Field crowd streamed toward the exits.
The result leaves NYCFC in ninth in the Eastern Conference and without a league win since a 3-1 win over Colorado on March 14. DC United, meanwhile, rises to fifth in the East after a second straight league win.