BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. – While the team fell in defeat at New England on the weekend, the match did provide somewhat of a breakout performance for recent Fire acquisition Sanna Nyassi.
With both Mike Magee and Robert Earnshaw unavailable for the match, the Gambian attacker was reunited with former Colorado Rapids teammate Quincy Amarikwa up top, with the combo providing early danger.
In the 14th minute, Amarikwa broke into the box on the left and perfectly picked Nyassi but with Revolution ‘keeper Bobby Shuttleworth already leaning to his right side, the fleet-footed attacker seemed to put a little too much bend on his header that went wide left of goal.
Fourteen minutes on in a similar play down the left, Nyassi made good on the miss, this time poking his header towards the far right post to open his Fire account.
Moments later he dispossessed new Revs signing Jermaine Jones, earning a free breakaway on goal but put his effort off the right post.
While he scored his first Fire goal, the chances were there for Nyassi to have an incredible hat trick inside 30 minutes with the player acknowledging this week he couldn’t leave those opportunities on the field.
“The goal was good and it felt fantastic to score my first for the Fire,” he said. “I could have scored more than one goal, especially the one that hit the post – the score would have been different at the end of the night. I still have to work on finishing in practice. We need to finish the chances we create – that goal could have changed the game.”
Asked about Nyassi's play vs. New England, Fire head coach Frank Yallop said, "He’s unlucky not to get a hat trick. The second header was harder than the first. I’ve been pleased with his work and he’s not at the top of his game. When we picked him up, he hadn’t played for months either. We seem to be in that game mode at the moment where we’ve got guys coming back – Patrick Nyarko, Robbie Earnshaw, Florent [Sinama-Pongolle] guys that haven’t played a lot of minutes over the last few months but guys that have a lot of good qualities and are going to help us for sure. I’ve been pleased with Sanna."
Acquired from Montreal at the end of July, Nyassi seemed pegged to play more of a wing role for the Fire but with forward absences over the last month, has found time up front at times, a place on the field he says he prefers more.
“If the coaches want me outside I’m ready to go but I’m more comfortable playing behind the forward, in a withdrawn position in a freer role. I think having the chance to run at guys up front suits my skill set.”
With Magee undergoing season-ending hip surgery, Sinama-Pongolle awaiting a visa and Earnshaw still in doubt for Saturday, that run up front could continue and Nyassi says he enjoys getting to partner with a player like Amarikwa in that role.
“I really feel good playing with Quincy because of our time in Colorado. Sometimes I can use him as a decoy because he’s strong and good at holding the ball up. He does well to let others join the attack and he’s gotten better at slipping players through for opportunities.”
Even with a Fire side that is now seven points out of the final Eastern Conference playoff spot, Nyassi says he still believes the team has the fight in it to get back into a postseason position. With Saturday’s opponents Toronto FC once again experiencing recent changes to their technical staff and without star striker Jermain Defoe, Nyassi says there is opportunity to jump back in on Saturday.
“It’s a chance for us to capitalize. Toronto was doing great at the beginning of the season but right now things are not going well for them. We’re at home, we still feel like we can do something for the playoffs. Saturday give us another opportunity. For us in the attack, creating and finishing those chances will be key.”
WATCH: Looking ahead to Toronto FC
