David Villa models the new shirt
3 Hopes and One Fear for New York City FC
by Anna Ferkingstad
NYC FC has the fortunate (and unfortunate) position of being in its inaugural season. Fans, players and coaches affiliated with this blue and white side will be looking toward this year with both fervor and nerves. Inaugural seasons are exciting and full of extreme success and error. With no shortage of hopes and fears for City FC, lets take a look at the season ahead:
3 Hopes
1. MLS’s first cross town rivalry will hold up to the hype
From running into someone with an opposing jersey on the subway, to making your way across the city for a derby – the tension between City FC and NYRB fans will be intense. MLS is taking a big risk by placing two clubs in the same city, but there is no better place than New York. If all goes well, the meet ups between the two teams will be close and should draw attention equivalent to rivalries like the West Coast matchup of the Portland Timbers and Seattle Sounders.
2. That the team can reward it’s new fan base
Just days ago, NYC FC announced that season ticket sales have surpassed 14,000. To put that into perspective, that is only 5,000 less tickets than NYRB total averaged a game attendance in the 2014 season. This new fan base will be hungry for reward. NYC FC has the brand, the money and the personnel and now they just need the wins to show that everything has been worth it. If Jason Kreis and the team play to their potential, they are capable of this and beyond. An ideal season for the new club would include postseason qualification. At the very least, it would be great to see the club secure a win either in their opening game against Orlando FC or the home opener at Yankee Stadium against the New England Revolution.
3. The club will find a non-baseball stadium to play in for future seasons
When it was announced that NYC FC would be playing their inaugural season at Yankee Stadium, the soccer community rolled its eyes. I mean at least a football field is the same shape as a soccer field, right? I get it, soccer stadiums are costly, time consuming and risky to construct (especially in a city like New York) but if the MLS wants to be taken seriously it needs to start finding a way to put clubs in venues actually made for soccer. Recent announcements do, however, insinuate that NYC FC will be in a new stadium shortly with the location likely being in the Bronx.
One Fear: Frank Lampard’s late arrival will further affect team dynamic and club image
A short term contract with Manchester City has the former Chelsea player absent from MLS until the end of the Premier League in May. The signing of Lampard last year was big news for City FC’s image and roster and many fans felt betrayed when they learned they were going to have to wait four months to see him on American soil. Also, as a player it’s hard to enter a lineup several games into a season. It will be difficult for Kreis to find a way to make up for but not replace Lampard in his absence.
