Patrick Vieira: “My main focus is the way we play the game, the way we try to control the game and the number of chances we create.”(FrontRowSoccer.com Photo)
New York City FC might be unbeaten in four matches this season, but head coach Patrick Vieira is unimpressed.
He is more worried about the way his team performs as it puts the finishing touches of its preparation for City’s match at the San Jose Earthquakes Saturday night.
“Being undefeated means nothing, my main focus is the way we play the game, the way we try to control the game and the number of chances we create,” he said.
NYCFC is 3-0-1 with 10 points this MLS season, trailing first-place Columbus Crew SC via goal differential in the Eastern Conference.
City is coming off a 2-2 comeback win at the New England Revolution in which Ismael Tajouri scored a pair of second-half goals for a team that did not have its best game of the young season.
“When you look at our last game, we didn’t create much,” Vieira said. “We didn’t have enough possession in the opposition half and those are the kind of details we need to improve in order to be more dangerous.”
So, the visitors will have an opportunity to do that against the Earthquakes (1-1-0, 3) and striker Chris Wondolowski, who have been on either side of 3-2 results.
“It’s another test for us,” Vieira said. “We came out against New England not feeling happy with the way we played, and we tried to work quite well on the tactical side of the game during the week. We’re going to see how we improve some areas of the game which didn’t do well against New England.”
Vieira will have two more forwards from which to choose as team captain David Villa, who missed the last two matches with a calf injury, traveled with the team to San Jose, and Rodney Wallace, who has returned from international duty with Costa Rica.
