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NYCFC: The emergence of Ismael Tajouri-Shradi

By Scott Fingeroth

LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 13: Ismael Tajouri-Shradi #29 of New York City FC (R) and Eduardo Atuesta #20 of Los Angeles FC fight for control of the ball at Banc of California Stadium on May 13, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katharine Lotze/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 13: Ismael Tajouri-Shradi #29 of New York City FC (R) and Eduardo Atuesta #20 of Los Angeles FC fight for control of the ball at Banc of California Stadium on May 13, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katharine Lotze/Getty Images) /
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NYCFC had an idea of what they were getting in Ismael Tajouri-Shradi, but no one could expect the impact he has made.

This past offseason, NYCFC loaded up, signing players that would become impact starters such as Jo Inge Berget, Anton Tinnerholm, Ebenezer Ofori, and Jesus Medina, but there is one player who has outshined everyone else: Ismael Tajouri-Shradi.

Tajouri-Shradi, 24, was signed on transfer from Austria Wien on January 12, 2018. The Swiss forward scored eight goals and tallied eight assists in 49 matches between the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons.

Originally, he was signed to serve as depth behind the likes of Medina, Berget, Rodney Wallace, and, of course, the guy, David Villa.

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However, that has not been the case. Wallace has immensely struggled this season, starting only eight of his thirteen appearances and not scoring a single goal, and Berget and Villa have both been hit by the injury bug.

When Villa initially got injured during mid-March, then Coach Patrick Viera entrusted Tajouri-Shradi with three consecutive starts versus Orlando City, New England, and San Jose. What came out of that could have only been hoped for.

He scored the game-winning goal in NYCFC’s 2-0 win over Orlando City SC, scored a brace in the 2-2 draw with the New England Revolution, and assisted on Maximiliano Moralez’s game-winner in the 2-1 victory over the San Jose Earthquakes.

Ismael Tajouri-Shradi immediately became a top, if not the top, option off the bench. Even recently, he’s a mainstay in the starting eleven. There have been some injury concerns for him as of late, but, overall, he has been playing game in and game out.

Playing in nineteen, and starting thirteen, of New York City FC’s matches this season, Tajouri-Shradi has scored ten goals and also has tallied three helpers. Not only that, what is most impressive about his ten goals is that there are three braces and four game-winning goals.

Now, what does this mean for the continued success of NYCFC?

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This means that Domenec Torrent’s squad continues to have another asset to rely upon heading into the end of the regular season and the fight for the team’s first-ever Supporters’ Shield and MLS Cup in their fourth ever season of MLS competition.

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