Midfielder Alfredo Morales says he feels fit, refreshed and ready to go ahead of the new season.
The 32-year-old endured a difficult end to the 2022 campaign after being sidelined with a leg injury sustained in August until October’s Decision Day trip to Atlanta United, where he then suffered an unfortunate setback just 26 minutes into his return.
Though he was named on the bench for the Eastern Conference Final, Morales had missed the Club’s Campeones Cup success and MLS playoff run, but asserts he is determined to put his injury troubles behind him in a bid to play a more established role in the team’s quest for silverware.
“I feel amazing, my body’s good,” he said. “I have no issues at all – I’ve trained for three, four weeks with the team, no problem.
“The end of the last season was very frustrating for me. Obviously, I wanted to play every game, especially in the playoffs, but it just wasn’t meant to be.
“I tried everything with our medical team to try and get back on the pitch but that’s just how it is sometimes.
“In practice and in games, we were a little careful or cautious at the beginning just to manage my load – my last game was August 17th against Charlotte, where I picked up my injury, so it’s a long time.
“You have to be careful in the beginning but I tried to push myself with all the guys – the physios and everybody, the athletic trainers.
“Off-season was good, it was a little bit too long to be honest! I feel great, and I really can’t wait to start this season.
“I think we have we have a very good team. We’re still missing a few pieces but the core is there – a lot of talent, a lot of very good players, who prove that they can play on a very high level in this league.
“We as New York City Football Club want to want to play to win and it's our job to make ourselves ready now in preseason to perform at our best on February 25th against Nashville, but also over the whole season.
“We have a lot of goals, we want to win everything and this is our objective, nothing less.”
City’s preseason roster blends youth and experience with several MLS II and Academy stars named alongside the First Team regulars both in training and in matches.
Speaking before Saturday’s win over LA Galaxy, Head Coach Nick Cushing highlighted Morales as one of the senior leaders in the squad, alongside Maxime Chanot and Thiago Martins.
NYCFC’s no.7 says he relishes the responsibility, adding the youngsters are keeping him on his toes!
“Since the day I came to New York City, this was my role,” Morales explained. “The coaches, my teammates always demanded this from me: showing leadership on the field in practice – in the games obviously, but also in training, leading by example.
“We lost a couple of players but just that's just the way soccer works, and we have a lot of guys that can step in and find their role as a leader, especially for the younger guys. I think it's very important for me, Maxime Chanot, Thiago [Martins] to guide them and give them the confidence to speak up in practice, speak up in the games, to just be there, be loud, be vocal, be confident.
“My whole career, I was always very close with young players. It’s just me as a human being, I guess. I get along with them very well, and I'm just happy to be a part of this young team, because it just motivates myself.
“I want to lead by example like I said, but the young kids are so energetic, and they give everything, they run – they run maybe too much and all over the place sometimes, but that's just how it is, and that's good!
“It forces me almost to do the same thing. It's like a reminder: every time we step out on the pitch and practice, I can’t just chill and just do a little bit – I have to push myself as well.
“I think that's very good – when you're having young players around you that almost force you to be there and be aggressive, and be physical and run, and do what you do. It's fun.
“For us, being here now and me being one of the veteran guys, the leaders of this group, we just have to make sure that intensity in the games and practices is top-notch, so everybody who will join us comes into an environment where it's intensity and quality.
“We want to win, we want to prepare – not to play the season and see how it goes – we want to win the league. This should be our goal, and this should be our mindset.”
NYCFC will kick off the 2023 MLS season on Feb. 25 when we visit Nashville SC at GEODIS Park (4:30 pm ET | MLS Season Pass).
