NEW YORK—There hasn’t been a specific turning point, a moment in a game or a change in personnel that signified the change.
But it’s an added commitment, according to New York City FC captain David Villa, that has helped the team take a franchise-best five-match unbeaten streak into Saturday’s showdown with the New York Red Bulls at Yankee Stadium (3 pm ET; FOX | TSN2).
The team is still committed to Patrick Vieira’s plan, to play out of the back, to keep possession in his preferred 4-3-3 formation, but the change has come off the ball, according to Villa.
“Fighting for the battle, fighting for second balls, we’re defending better and when you win the battles and when you have the ball and you play very well, you have more opportunity for winning games,” Villa said at a media availability at Twitter’s Manhattan headquarters. “The team understood this second part a few weeks ago.”
Vieira said he was impressed with the club’s form, even in the beginning of the season, but mistakes proved costly as the club won just one of their first eight games of the season.
NYCFC has put together some solid defensive performances of late, conceding just five times in the five-match unbeaten streak.
“Even the first few games that we played in the beginning of the season, we played some really good football, but we made some mistakes that we’re not making now,” Vieira said. “I believe that the players are getting better and better and we’re more stronger as a team. This is the reason why we start winning games. I strongly believe we will be better game after game.”
As a result, midfielder Andrea Pirlo believes it is the perfect time to play the first of three derby matches against the New York Red Bulls.
“We’re in a very good spot right now, a very good period. We’ve worked very hard and will continue to work very hard,” he said. “We look at what we do, we correct our mistakes and this goes to the merit of our coach and our staff who are constantly on the field every day to improve the quality of the work of our team. The results are already being felt and seen and we’re very happy with that. Of course, this is just the beginning and there’s so much work to be done.”
