PURCHASE, New York — Patrick Vieira's first weeks with New York City FC were not quite what you would expect for a coach taking over a new team. Rather than put his new team through the motions, or coaching them up, Vieira simply observed the team during its training stint and friendly in Puerto Rico in December. He wanted to get a good look at the team he was inheriting, but from the outside looking in. What he saw impressed him enough to believe he had made the right decision about the first head coaching job of what he hopes will be a successful career.
"I spent the time in Puerto Rico and I realized that it was a really good group of players who didn’t fulfill their potential, and this was one of the reasons I accepted the job," Vieira told Goal USA. "I believe last year the team didn't play at their level of potential. I spent the time in Puerto Rico with them and I knew we could do something special."
More than two months later, far away from the warm environs of the Caribbean, Vieira held court at a chilly NYCFC training session Thursday, just three days away from his team's 2016 debut Sunday against the Chicago Fire. He moves slower than he used to when he was patrolling the midfield on Arsenal's unbeaten 'Invincibles' a dozen years ago, having traded in his role as midfield enforcer as a player to one of laid-back tactician and charmer as a coach. He smiled at questions about pressure, acknowledging that being a coach carries inherent pressure, but as a man who was on the field when France won the 1998 World Cup, pressure means something different to him than the average person.
If Vieira looks at ease as he prepares to embark on his coaching career, it is probably because the positive first impressions Vieira had about his team back in December in Puerto Rico have only been reinforced after a full preseason.
“What I really like about this group is that they are really willing to take information on board," Vieira said. "They are really open. They are lively, it’s a really lively group, and they are hungry to win something. They want to achieve something.”
NYCFC struggled through its inaugural MLS season for a variety of reasons, ranging from a shoddy and poorly constructed defense, to the fact that stars like Andrea Pirlo and Frank Lampard didn't arrive until midseason last year, which left them both playing catch up and never reaching their best level.
Both stars have had a full preseason now (Frank Lampard's latest injury setback aside), and the commitment being made by the club's designated players is apparent. Pirlo spent the winter shooting down rumors about a return to play in Europe, while Villa returned from the offseason break having learned English, a clear testament to his commitment to the club he now captains.
Having watched last year's NYCFC matches, Vieira recalls seeing a team that was disjointed, and simply didn't know how to play with Pirlo, something Vieira has made a point to rectify this preseason.
“It was really difficult for Andrea, and for the team, when a player like that comes into the middle of the season and just being put onto the field,” Vieira said. “It was difficult for him to express himself, and for players to understand him."
“I think having a preseason is good for him, good for the team, and good for me,” Vieira continued. “I’m sure he will be fantastic this year because of the way he’s working in training."
NYCFC will look to build around a midfield of Pirlo, Lampard and U.S. national team regular Mix Diskerud, with speedsters Khiry Shelton and Tony Taylor working on either side of David Villa in a 4-3-3 system. That group has the potential to be more effective than the 2015 NYCFC attack, but the biggest question mark for the team continues to be the defense, which has been revamped with new players, including promising Costa Rican fullback Ronald Matarrita and MLS veteran Ethan White.
Vieira has been consistent in suggesting his NYCFC will be a more attack-minded, which will try to use offense to keep pressure off of its defense.
"I think what is important for us is I want the players to defend going forward," Vieira said. "We have to be proactive in our minds, we have to anticipate what can happen. We always have to be positive and we have to work for that."
The real question will be whether Vieira's team can win without a true defensive midfielder to do the dirty work in the middle that can allow players like Pirlo and Lampard to thrive. Ironically enough, what the club could use is a player like Vieira in his prime.
It does seem funny that Vieira didn't wind up coming to America to play in MLS, where two of his France '98 teammates, Thierry Henry and Youri Djorkaeff wound up playing. Vieira, who retired in 2011, chalked it up to there simply having been no interest from MLS before he decided he was done as a player.
"I never had a chance, I never had a contact, or anybody who offered me a contract. I think I wasn’t good enough," Vieira joked. "I didn’t have any offers to come to MLS."
When asked why he didn't bother to pursue a playing career in the U.S., he made it clear that he simply didn't have anything left as a player toward the end, at least not enough to give MLS a legitimate try.
"When I retired I found out it was the right time for me to retire," he said. "I didn’t want to go anywhere else and not be able to play at the level that I wanted to. I didn’t want to come here, or anywhere else, and play at 30 percent of my capacity, because physically I couldn’t do anything more.
"For me, coming here and knowing that I wouldn’t be able to perform, I’m not that type of person."
Five years after hanging up his boots for good, Vieira has made his way to the U.S. after all, and coach his first professional top-division match Sunday. If he's nervous, he certainly isn't showing it. His team might not being picked as a contender in 2016, but Vieira believes his players are motivated to erase the bad memories of 2015, and give the fans at Yankee Stadium a reason to believe better times are ahead.
"This is the right time because this is a new club," Vieira said. "It’s a chance to win something and be in the history books of the club and I have a feeling they are prepared, and they want to do it."
NEW YORK CITY FC SEASON PREVIEW
2015 FINISH: Eighth in Eastern Conference (10-17-7), failed to qualify for playoffs
NOTABLE ADDITIONS: D Ronald Matarrita, D Frederic Brillant, M Jack Harrison, D Ethan White, D Shannon Gomez, D Diego Martinez
NOTABLE LOSSES: D Chris Wingert, M Ned Grabavoy
TOP NEWCOMER:Ronald Matarrita. The speedy Costa Rican fullback should help give NYCFC a dangerous weapon attacking out of the back, and a player who can also handle the defensive responsibilities of the fullback position.
PLAYER TO WATCH:David Villa. The Spanish striker enjoyed a strong first season in MLS, scoring 18 goals despite his team's struggles. With the NYCFC midfield expected to be stronger, and speed being deployed on the flanks in Tony Taylor and Khiry Shelton, Villa could enjoy a Golden Boot-winning season.
2016 OUTLOOK
The Patrick Vieira era should be an interesting one at Yankee Stadium, as the Frenchman has promised his team will play an attacking style. NYCFC has the weapons to attack, and score regularly, but questions remain about the defense, as well as about how the squad will support Pirlo in midfield.
If Vieira can build even an average defense with the handful of defensive additions made this winter, NYCFC could push for a playoff spot. That will probably still require Frank Lampard to stay healthy, Mix Diskerud to have a much better year than 2015 and David Villa to score at least 20 goals. Without those things, NYCFC could be in for another long season.
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