As cooler weather has arrived in St. 亚洲无码, it was a nice change for St. 亚洲无码 City SC midfielder Nokkvi Thorisson, a product of Iceland. This felt more like home for him.
鈥淵es, it鈥檚 finally some fresh air,鈥 he said after practice on Tuesday.
As summer has ended and fall set in, it鈥檚 also meant less playing time for Thorisson as he finishes his first full season in Major League Soccer, which has been marked, he observed, with 鈥渦ps and downs.鈥 He鈥檚 tied for fourth on the team in goals with four, and they came in a clump.
He didn鈥檛 score in his first 16 games of the season, almost all of them coming off the bench. Injuries and player moves pushed him into the starting lineup for eight straight MLS games, and it was there that he scored his four goals.
Then, as newcomers like Marcel Hartel and Cedric Teuchert settled in, it was back to the bench. He鈥檚 started only one of the team鈥檚 past seven games.
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He thinks his play has been consistent, it鈥檚 just his playing time that hasn鈥檛 been. His numbers are almost the same as in his first season, when he had one goal playing in parts of nine games. In 2023, he averaged .34 goals per 90 minutes. This season, he鈥檚 at .31, third-best on the team behind Simon Becher (.78) and Teuchert (.65).
The challenge now is for him going forward to make the most of the minutes he gets.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 care what anyone else says or does,鈥 he said, 鈥渕y only focus is improving and scoring more goals. So even though it鈥檚 less playing time, it gives you an opportunity to score, even though it鈥檚 less.鈥
鈥淚鈥檓 very pleased with Nokkvi鈥檚 season,鈥 said interim coach John Hackworth. 鈥淚 think he and everybody else should be looking at it that in a time where we were having a really difficult season, he was the guy that was starting, playing, creating chances, scoring. Then things change on the depth chart a little bit ... and it鈥檚 kind of indicative of our whole team, where guys have to understand the role they鈥檙e in currently, and if they want to change it, they have to do it on the training field, which puts them in a good position in a game, and then they have to do it in a game too.
鈥淚 think Nokkvi, like anybody, would want more, but he鈥檚 doing all he can do. 鈥 But the reality is also just that, if it鈥檚 Klauss vs. Nokkvi, Nokkvi鈥檚 got to understand that Klauss is, at least in my humble opinion, going to be my selection.鈥
Thorisson has had some scoring chances he didn鈥檛 put in the net this season 鈥 he鈥檚 1.5 goals below his expected goals total, which puts him 28th in the league 鈥 but like any goal scorer, he thinks that will turn around next season.
鈥淚t鈥檚 always just a matter of time when it goes in,鈥 he said, 鈥渂ecause that鈥檚 my biggest quality, finishing and scoring goals. So I feel very good about it.鈥
Injury free
When City SC took the practice field, there was an unusual sight: Every player was out there, other than those out for the season.
鈥淚t hasn鈥檛 happened for me,鈥 said Hackworth, 鈥渟o it would be going a ways back.鈥
Most notably, that meant Chris Durkin, who has missed the past three games with an inflamed knee, was there. He did the first portion of practice and then worked on his own when the team moved to larger field work.
鈥淭his is Durkin鈥檚 first day back in anything,鈥 Hackworth said, 鈥渁nd just judging by how he felt, really positive that we can actually have him for a whole session, potentially tomorrow, and at least have him available on Saturday, which would be nice.鈥
Hackworth said it wasn鈥檛 essential to get Durkin minutes before the end of the season.
鈥淏ut we want to win the game,鈥 he said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e a better team with Durkin on the field than we are without him. So there鈥檚 a there鈥檚 a spot for him.鈥
Yaro waiting
Josh Yaro goes into the final week without a new contract. He鈥檚 the only player on the team who had a contract set to expire this season who hasn鈥檛 been dealt with, and while that would be a problem in many cases, it might not be for Yaro.
He鈥檚 well-liked within the organization, respected by players and coaches. He provides depth at a critical position and makes the league senior-minimum salary, so if the team wanted to replace him, it wouldn鈥檛 save them any money. And, having gotten married prior to the season to a St. 亚洲无码 native, he wants to stay, so contract haggling is likely to be minimal.
That last part changes the dynamic.
鈥淭rust me, it does,鈥 he said. 鈥淲hen I was alone and single, I could pack up and leave anywhere, anytime. And now you have to think about a little bit more because you have someone else involved. And it鈥檚 a blessing, truly. But (the contract situation) can be a little bit stressful as well but at the end of the day. I鈥檝e been through it a few times, and it鈥檚 always worked out. I believe that it鈥檚 going to work out the end of the day. So not stressing about it too much.鈥
Notes
City SC has gotten a waiver to have Jake Girdwood-Reich be eligible for City2鈥檚 postseason. An exemption was needed because players are required to have appeared in four Next Pro games to be eligible for the playoffs.
- Mykhi Joyner, whose Homegrown contract with City SC goes into effect next season, scored for the U.S. under-19 team in a 3-2 win over Japan in a friendly match in Spain.
- Academy defender Owen Jorgensen is with the U.S. under-15 team at a training camp in Florida that started Sunday.