Three days after losing to the Houston Dynamo at Yankee Stadium and suffering its worst defeat of the season, New York City responded with a 2-2 draw against an in-form Nashville SC.
NYCFC conceded two goals in the first half, but Hannes Wolf bagged two second-half goals to steal a surprising point on the road against the best home team in MLS.
Nashville extended its undefeated streak to 10 straight in all competitions and seven straight in MLS play, but New York City left the Music City content with the result, given the congested schedule, injuries, and recent run of form.
Here are three thoughts from the tie in the Music City.
Hudson River Blue Staff
Hannes Wolf leads the comeback
Last weekend, Wolf ended a nine-game scoring drought with the go-ahead goal in the 3-1 win over the Chicago Fire.
Today, he scored with NYCFC looking dead in the water at halftime. Wolf's two goals give him six this season, surpassing last year's tally of five. It was Wolf's second brace this year, with the first coming against Atlanta United on March 29.
Hannes Wolf's first goal of the afternoon | Courtesy newyorkcityfc.com
With Alonso Martínez struggling recently, Wolf is emerging as the team's second scorer. Finally, NYCFC is getting more out of the former Bundesliga winger.
Defense bounces back after rough first half
The duo of Sam Surridge and Hany Mukhtar, who entered Saturday's match with four goals and one assist in their last two, showed out against New York City.
Surridge bagged a first-half brace, with his first goal assisted by Mukhtar via a great touch and impressive backheel.
Sam Surridge scores his first of the afternoon | Courtesy MLS
NYCFC's defense struggled in the first 45 minutes but did much better in the second half, keeping Nashville scoreless. Surridge almost scored a third goal but his attempt hit the post, and Matt Freese made a great save on Mukhtar's follow-up shot.
For a team that conceded three goals against a Houston attack that was playing without its starting striker, New York City's defensive performance against Nashville was commendable, especially given that the team was playing on the road after just two days' rest, and the inclusion of rarely-used players like Strahinja Tanasijević and Nico Cavallo in the second half.
May gauntlet finished
NYCFC played eight games in four weeks, equaling the busiest stretch of games in club history, which occurred in May 2022.
During that stretch, New York City won some big games against Philadelphia, Cincinnati, and the Red Bulls, but lost to Pittsburgh, Montréal, and Houston. The team had to deal with injuries to Kevin O'Toole, Keaton Parks, and Andrés Perea, but finished the month with 10 points in seven league games.
NYCFC left points on the table against opponents it should have defeated, but also surprised with wins against teams in the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference. It's a mixed record, with 11 points taken out of a possible 21, but there are positives to be found in these matches.
New York City will return to the pitch on June 12 against Atlanta United but will be without starters Matt Freese, Martínez, Jonny Shore, and Mitja Ilenič due to international duty.
With the busiest part of the season done and dusted, NYCFC will want to use the time off to get healthy and rested before a busy summer schedule, including four straight road games in mid-July before Leagues Cup.
Hudson River Blue Staff
