This week, First Touches is ready to take a big bite out of the Big Apple, as New York City FC makes their way to Allianz Field for the first time since the stadium’s very first game in 2019.

Stats and Notes

• This is the first meeting between NYCFC and Minnesota since April 2019, and just the fourth time the clubs have met since Minnesota joined MLS.
• Minnesota is 1-1-1 in the three previous matchups, with that most recent matchup being a wild 3-3 draw in the clubs’ only meeting at Allianz Field, the stadium’s first game. That game featured a remarkable five first-half goals.
• The only players who were in the match day squad for Minnesota for that game in 2019 and are currently with the team are Michael Boxall, Abu Danladi, Brent Kallman and Romain Metanire.
• Minnesota enters the game fresh from their first ever victory in Dallas.
• New York won Wednesday's match over New England, to give them a ten-game undefeated streak in all competitions; their last loss came in the first leg of their CONCACAF Champions League semifinal against Seattle, with their last loss in the league coming just before that against Toronto in early April.
• New York City leads the league with 135 key passes; for reference, the league median in that stat is 105.
• City also maintains the best goal difference in the league at +14 through twelve matches; each other team with a GD of +5 or more has played a game more.
• City also is tied for the league lead in penalties drawn (4), leads the league in penalties scored (4), is one of just two clubs in the league with 200 or more shot attempts, leads the league in shots on target (75), and have allowed the fewest shot attempts in the league (35).
• Minnesota’s 152 interceptions on the season are tied for fourth-best in MLS.
• Valentin Castellanos, who scored in these clubs’ most recent matchup, is tied for third in the league with seven goals on the season, and is the only player in MLS this season to score four goals in a game.
• On the other side of the pitch, Sean Johnson (and his defense) have the MLS lead in clean sheets with seven thus far.
• Robin Lod’s goal against Dallas was his 22nd for the club, which now makes him MNUFC's all-time MLS regular season top goal scorer.
• DJ Taylor’s goal against Dallas was his first for the club, coming after he notched his first assist for the club.
• The Reynoso duel update: both Emanuel Reynoso and Kervin Arriaga attempted 21 duels in Sunday’s game in Dallas; Reynoso’s league lead in the statistic is now more than 70, and he remains the only player with over 200 duels attempted.
• To borrow from Matthew Doyle of MLSsoccer.com: via American Soccer Analysis, Dayne St. Clair is allowing just 0.67 goals per 1 xG this season: if extended for a whole season, this would be the best season in that statistic by any goalkeeper in MLS in the last ten seasons.

Minnesota Connections

• None. Zero. Zilch.

MATCH INFO

Minnesota United FC vs. NYCFC
Allianz Field | St Paul, MN
05.28.22 | MLS Game No. 14
7:00 pm CT (MLS LIVE on ESPN+, Bally Sports North, The CW-Twin Cities, 1500 ESPN)