Team captain Alex Ring will be interviewed on NYCFC: Home For the City on Friday. Photo courtesy of NYCFC)

The YES Network will premiere a New York City Football Club special, NYCFC: Home For The City Friday at 7 p.m. ET that previews NYCFC’s participation in the 2020 MLS is Back Tournament.

YES’ NYCFC voices Joe Tolleson, Ian Joy and Janusz Michallik will be featured in the special, which will include interviews with head coach Ronny Deila, captain Alex Ring and goalkeeper Sean Johnson.

The MLS is Back Tournament kicks off Wednesday, July 8 in Orlando, and NYCFC’s first game is Thursday, July 9 at 9 a.m. ET vs. the Philadelphia Union.

Highlights of NYCFC: Home For The City:

Tolleson, Joy and Michallik discuss:

* The importance of the MLS is Back Tournament as it relates to the CONCACAF Champions League, as well as the upcoming MLS regular season

* The safety protocol that the MLS has put in place for the tournament

Tolleson and Joy interview Deila:

* How the team is preparing to play games as early as 9 a.m. and as late as 10 p.m.

* What the coaching staff has been doing in order to keep the players motivated during these difficult times

Joy interviews Johnson:

* On Juneteenth, Sean helped launch the MLS Black Players Coalition

* Being reunited with his teammates after the Covid-19 shutdown

Tolleson and Joy interview team captain Alex Ring:

* What it will be like to play without fans in the stands

* The efforts needed to focus on the task at hand

Front Row Soccer editor Michael Lewis has covered 13 World Cups (eight men, five women), seven Olympics and 25 MLS Cups. He has written about New York City FC, New York Cosmos, the New York Red Bulls and both U.S. national teams for Newsday and has penned a soccer history column for the Guardian.com. Lewis, who has been honored by the Press Club of Long Island and National Soccer Coaches Association of America, is the former editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He has written seven books about the beautiful game and has published ALIVE AND KICKING The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers. It is available at Amazon.com.