2015 MLS Team Preview: NYCFC
By Sean Maslin
Welcome to the MLS, NYCFC. After about two years of hype and plenty of controversy, the brainchild of City Football Group and the New York Yankees is finally set to play some matches. But will they take the league by storm or spend the year in the cellar?
Quick Numbers
2014 Record: 0-0-0
Conference Standing:n/a
League Standing:n/a
Top Scorer: n/a
Top Play-maker: TBD although something tells me this position will likely be filled by a guy named Villa, Lampard, or Diskerud
Greatest Moment Last Season: Although the club did not play any matches last season, perhaps their greatest moment came when they signed David Villa. The Frank Lampard move or non-move had been rumored for years so it felt more like a question of when more than if. But Villa was coming off of a strong campaign with Atletico Madrid and was kind of out of left-field.
His addition has flown under the radar but it should be seen as an important achievement for the league and for NYCFC. Yes he is 33 and his numbers have dropped off since his time at Valencia where he was averaging 21 goals a season. But he should still have enough in the tank to play in MLS, whose pace is a bit slower than La Liga.
Key Players
David Villa- Just one other thing on Villa. The argument that he is 33 and we should not expect him in his prime is fair. But keep in mind that aside from a handful of matches while on loan with Melbourne City last year he has largely been on a break since June when Spain was bounced from the World Cup. Players very rarely get that much time off to rest and heal from injuries. Assuming that he has not spent this time eating tapas and drinking wine, he should be ready to go.
Ned Grabavoy, Sebastian Velasquez, and Chris Wingert-These two should be grouped together because they serve a similar purpose: to be Jason Kreis’ eyes and ears on the pitch. All three players served with Kreis at Real Salt Lake and were prominent players in the midfield and defense, respectively.
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There are two things that are critical for consistent success in MLS: chemistry between the defenders and midfield and a stable spine of a team. Wingert (204 appearances with RSL,) Velasquez (38,) and Grabavoy (159 appearances) are all familiar with Kreis and should act as a bridge between his system and their new teammates.
NYCFC will struggle at times this season because the players will be still be learning their positions and roles on the team. Not all three are locks to be full-time starters; Wingert should be penciled in at one of the four defender spots while Grabavoy and Velasquez will fight for starting minutes. But even having them at practice every day and in training will help make this team a better squad.
Mix Diskerud-Perhaps the player with most to lose and most to gain from this season, Diskerud could elevate himself to being the next great midfielder in US Soccer. Or he could be yet another decent player who is overvalued because he is an American. His career to this point has been shrouded in mystery because he played in Norway with Rosenborg and Stabaek.
But in his limited appearances with the US Men’s National Team, he has shown himself to be someone who has good instincts and has patience in setting up attacks. He will certainly have the weapons with Villa, Patrick Mullins (4 goals with the New England Revolution in 2014,) Khiry Shelton (#2 overall pick in the 2015 SuperDraft) and eventually Frank Lampard. But will he deliver?
Frank Lampard- Despite all of the controversy Lampard is still very clearly capable of playing at a high level. But as opposed to Villa, who at 33 will be coming off of 6 months rest, Lampard at 37 will be coming off of a cycle where he played a full season with Manchester City and a World Cup cycle with England. When you also factor in that it is never easy to integrate a striker into a starting lineup mid-season it makes the situation even more tenuous.
The key for Lampard and NYCFC will be patience. Although there will obviously be pressure from the get-go, it is going to take time to get him fully prepared and ready to play. We should see the best out of Lampard in September. But whether the supporters can tolerate him adjusting to a new league and a new team after everything that has already transpired will be interesting to see.
The Big Question: Are NYCFC The Chicago Fire? Or Are They The Montreal Impact?
Expansion teams have a mixed history of success in their first season in MLS. The 1997 Chicago Fire showed that an expansion team can be successful in their first season. But there have also been clubs like the Montreal Impact in 2011 who have struggled.
Here is a full look at each expansion team and how they performed in their first season:
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NYCFC and Orlando City have a couple of things going for them. First, they are in the easier of the two Conferences. Second, 12 teams will make the playoffs this season as opposed to 10 last season. Given this information, NYCFC supporters should believe their team has a chance to succeed.
But much is depending upon how quickly this team can gel and learn Jason Kreis’ system. If they are quick learners then they will have a chance. But if issues like the Lampard situation continue, then it will be a long summer in the Big Apple.