After underachieving two weeks in a row, there’s no doubt that New York City FC needs a win against the Philadelphia Union on Saturday.
Pascal Jansen: “So, for us, the first 15 to 20 minutes will be a huge turning point going into this game, making sure that we match up the intensity that we expect from Philly.” (Photo courtesy of NYCFC)
After underachieving two weeks in a row, there’s no doubt that New York City FC needs a win against the Philadelphia Union on Saturday.
In case you have been in a cave, the Cityzens, thanks to a nightmare two halves over consecutive matches, saw six points go down the drain..
City saw a two-goal lead in the second half go out the window as Atlanta United struck for three goals en route to a 4-3 loss on March 29.
On April 6, a horrible first half let NYCFC drop a 2-1 home decision to Minnesota United.
Yes, a victory at home against the Philadelphia Union is needed at City Field at 7:30 p.m. ET. You might say desperately needed.
NYCFC Pascal Jansen said that his team had a “bulletproof mindset,” even after the two losses.
“I still believe that they have that, but I also believe it has to grow to a higher level than it is now,” Jansen said during a Thursday Zoom press conference with the media. “We’ve shown over the seven games that we have phases in games where we have that mindset and that body language on the pitch in the way we play. However, if you take the last 30 minutes in Atlanta — we’re not bulletproof enough to deal with the situation we had to deal with back then.
“Also, the previous game shows that we are not always capable of showing the right mentality when it comes to being bulletproof. … So, there’s still a lot of room to grow in this area, and that’s what we’re focusing on.”
Entering this weekend’s competition, NYCFC (2-3-2, 8 points) are in 11th place in the MLS Eastern Conference. The team could have an uphill battle against the third-place Union (4-2-1, 13).
The team cannot afford another bad start or another bad half against Philly.
“Because the way we started this game against Minnesota — coming out of the game in Atlanta — we expected something completely different than what we showed,” Jansen said. “So, for us, the first 15 to 20 minutes will be a huge turning point going into this game, making sure that we match up the intensity that we expect from Philly. … But make no mistake. I think it will be a completely different type of game on Saturday if you take into consideration the approach of the opponent. We have to match up that intensity, at least do the same, and try to add a few things to get on top of this game from the start.”
