MATT KREMKAU - EMPIRE OF SOCCER

by CHRISTIAN ARAOS

Purchase, NY – When Patrick Vieira grabbed the reins as New York City FC head coach, he said he would be working to build team cohesion in whatever way he could — including having the entire squad dine together during preseason.

Six months later, NYCFC are in first place with Vieira’s imprint clear.

“I’m not really getting excited about our last four games because our mood doesn’t change regarding the result of the game,” Vieira said. “When we went through a difficult period, we keep believing in ourselves and our philosophy thinking that what we are doing was the right thing.”

Vieira kept his short-passing system in place through NYCFC’s slow start, showing optimism with how the team was performing at the time. Now that City are in the midst of a four-game winning streak, Vieira is emphasizing hard work and humility to keep the streak going. He said there is a better understanding between the coaching staff and the players.

One of those players to have benefitted from the coaching staff’s approach is midfielder Mikey Lopez. Lopez faces Sporting Kansas City, his former team Sunday evening at Sporting Park. He faces the club that waived him after 14 appearances in three seasons. Lopez has made 12 appearances for NYCFC, starting six times this season. He said assistant coach Christian Lattanzio has helped him improve as a player.

“He’s always on me,” Lopez said. “He believes in me and he works with me to clean up my touches and be better on the ball. He wants me to not be so impulsive and be calmer so I know when to step and not to step and when to control the ball or when to play faster.”

City have been towards the top of the league in passing and possession statistics but their three-consecutive shutouts shows an improvement in their positioning and overall team defense. The team’s run of form coincides with the insertion of Jack Harrison and Frank Lampard into the starting lineup but NYCFC have also seen improved performances from Jefferson Mena and Frédéric Brillant in center defense. Their improvements have made spots hard to come by for some and in question for others.

“The more guys that are playing well, the more competition there is, the better the team is going to be,” Jason Hernandez said. “For myself, I’ve appeared in every game I’ve been available for so in whatever way I’m going to help the team. I think that’s the mindset of everyone. Whatever way to help the team get a win because at the end of the day we want to finish on top of the table.”

Vieira admitted he was attempting to instill a unique philosophy in his players and that it needed time to take hold. That being said, the four-game winning streak is now the high point of his tenure. The starters in NYCFC’s last win did regen work Friday and look likely to start Sunday in Kansas City. If any of them underperform, Vieira is prepared to replace them.

“When you have the results that we’ve had in the last four games, it is the players who come out motivated knowing that if they don’t do well there will be someone there to take their spot,” Vieira said. “We have to create this kind of competitiveness and this is the reason why if we bring in new players, we have to bring players with talent who can challenge the players on the field.”