NYCFC supporters that Jack Harrison will avoid the sophomore slump in 2017 (photo credit: Graham Green)
There Can Be Only One. Highlander references aside, only one player off of Jason Kreis’s New York City FC 2015 starting 11 remains on 2017’s squad. David Villa is still slated to start Sunday as the team kicks off their third year in existence. Much like the Highlander movie though, now that there is only one player left, the squad must go through “The Quickening.”
In the movie’s version of “The Quickening” we see a Scottish Swordsman zapped by rays of lightning and transformed into some sort of demigod. For NYCFC, however, it means an injection of pace and youth to surround two aging superstar veterans. The offseason additions have transformed the team from one of the oldest in the league to one of the youngest and fastest.
In the final game of the preseason Patrick Vieira finally let us have a look at Alexander Ring, Yangel Herrera, Alexander Callens, and Rodney Wallace all playing on the pitch at the same time. The result was the team’s first win of the preseason against a strong Sporting KC side.
Rodney Wallace’s speed and ability with the ball exposed Graham Zusi at right back time and time again to a point where Bruce Arena had to be second guessing his placement on the USMNT.
Ring and Herrera proved that NYCFC can survive with a midfield missing Andrea Pirlo. Ring showed great vision with the ball and proved he can serve at the holding defensive midfielder NYCFC needs. With Callens in the back NYCFC also recorded their first shut out of the year. In fairness, Sean Johnson pitched in and did his part with an outstanding penalty save. But there can be no doubt that NYCFC was much faster and moved the ball with more pace than last year.
NYCFC forward David Villa will have some help up top this season with Jack Harrison and Maxi Morales (photo credit: Diego Diaz)
For the second time we saw David Villa score off of a connection with Jack Harrison and Maxi Morales. This trinity of players seem to be developing an understanding and a feel for each other’s game that has to excite NYCFC fans across the board. Harrison and Morales compliment Villa perfectly and could prove to be very dangerous at any place on the pitch. How their chemistry develops over the course of 2017 will determine how far NYCFC advances in the playoff hunt.
So fittingly, on Sunday, NYCFC open their season against their old coach and an Orlando City squad that entered the league at the same time. It is the perfect chance to measure how each team has progressed over the past two seasons. It should be an interesting game for both teams, but as Jason Kreis looks out across the pitch for players he recognizes, he may just find himself thinking “Wow, there really is only one.”
