PURCHASE, N.Y. – New York City FC have one win in their first seven games at home, by far the worst home form in Major League Soccer.
But coach Patrick Vieira is bullish on his team playing the same way at home as it does away, despite coming off a 7-0 loss to the New York Red Bulls.
"We have the solution,'' Vieira said.
Which is?
“Build up from the back,” he said. “This is the philosophy I want the team to have, we’re going to stick to that and we’re going to do that.”
It would seem the dimensions of NYCFC's home field, Yankee Stadium, would work against that plan and that the narrower field would favor teams that press high, like the rival Red Bulls.
But Vieira disagrees.
“We have to accept the size of the field. We have the same size here we’re training [on] every day,” he said. “I think when we play from the back the way we want to do it, what we need to add, especially when the field is small, is the tempo of our passing. The tempo has to be right. When it’s not, it makes it easier for the opposition team. We need to have the tempo, the quality of our passes.”
Playing more direct, Vieira insists, isn’t the answer. For him, it’s the mentality, not the philosophy, that needs to be tweaked for NYCFC – now 7-9-8 all-time at Yankee Stadium heading into Sunday's clash there with Orlando City SC (4:30 pm ET, ESPN).
Fortunately for Vieira, NYCFC are tied with Toronto FC for most wins away from home (three), which is a big reason they are second in the Eastern Conference with 17 points, two behind leaders Philadelphia. A year ago, NYCFC had four road wins on the season.
“We need to be a bit more brave as well,” Vieira said. “Maybe it’s easier to play away because of the pressure of the game. Maybe we’re dealing better away from home. We have to find out how to deal with the pressure when we play at home.”
