New York City Head Coach Nick Cushing says he is pleased with his side’s attitude, application and camaraderie so far in preseason.
Preparations for the 2023 MLS campaign are well under way, with the Boys in Blue currently enjoying warm-weather training in Santa Barbara, California.
City have also clocked valuable game time with warm-up fixtures against Minnesota United and San Jose Earthquakes, and Cushing says he has been impressed with what he has seen from his players – both on and off the pitch.
“We have a strong squad here,” he stated. “It’s a great time to be away – we spend a lot of time together. It’s about making sure we’re prepared for the 25th February (the MLS season opener). I’m really pleased. We’re on our second tour in California and I’m pleased with how preseason’s gone.
“The nature of preseason, and having so much time off between the season end and start of the season, you can’t just expose first-team players to 90 minutes. We started off the Minnesota game with 30 minutes, then we grew that to 45 minutes. We have to phase players in to get them to the physical level they need to be at. To do that, you need to make the squad bigger, so it’s the perfect time to bring in our MLS II and our Academy players.
“You have the chance to develop the style, to give the same message to everybody, to get game minutes. It’s a really enjoyable experience for those guys. We’re really happy as a coaching staff for the guys who weren’t in the first-team squad last year but have made the step up in preseason.
“It's a bright future because the younger players, the MLS II, the first-team players have all integrated and we’re happy with the performances on the training field and in the two games.
“I couldn't be happier with the attitude of the group, the atmosphere in the camp, the relationships being built within our squads across all of our teams. I’ve been hugely impressed with all of them.”
While the off-season saw a number of long-serving players depart for pastures new, Cushing has already brought in two new faces in the form of Tony Alfaro and Gabe Segal, while Matías Pellegrini also re-signed. The Head Coach expressed his delight at securing their services, adding the Club are keen to bolster the squad further to aid our hopes of silverware.
On Alfaro and Segal, he hailed: “Of course, they are talented in their individual roles in defense and forward. We see potential to improve them.
“Both Gabe and Tony are incredible people. I’ve been really fortunate across my seasons at the Club: I’ve worked with some incredible people and both of those guys have huge work ethics, they want to improve, and have both integrated into the group really quickly. They’ve built relationships with all of the guys, and I’m really pleased with both of those additions.
“I’m really pleased we added Matí. Last year, it was difficult for him to get into the squad – we changed the system, we were really gaining some form – but he worked hard, his attitude was excellent and I was really keen to try and bring him back. We managed to get that done.
“He can play on both sides. At Inter Miami, he tended to play on the left. For us, off the right, he can come inside and play. He’s both-footed – naturally left – and likes to play on the right, come inside and combine. He brings a different profile of winger to Gabriel Pereira and Thiago Andrade. He will play more on the sides of the pitch rather than down the middle.
“Recruitment is part of football, it's an ongoing process. With outgoings come incomings and that will happen for sure, but we're just being patient, working with the team we have, making sure we prepare for the 2023 season.
“We are consistently talking as a group, looking to strengthen this squad. It’s a continuous process and it goes on throughout the season. We've had good conversations.
“I’m confident this squad will be as, if not more competitive as previous seasons. We have a really competitive roster as it stands, and we can only get better with continuous recruitment. Negotiations are complex but as a group, we’ll continue to do it and I’m confident we’ll be a better team than we have been previously.
“I’m confident we’ll be competitive before the 25th Feb but getting business done comes in many forms. We’re not going to rush into having just any players. I’m very fortunate to have some incredible people – Dave [Lee], the scouting group, the CFG group – and we have seen over many years we can spot talent and add talent, whether it’s in the Academy, growing our talent, or adding through the transfer market.
“My expectations of this group are exactly where they were last season. We’re not prioritizing things in particular. We have a very defined style, we know what we’re looking for and we need to make sure we have the right players and people to continue the growth of our team.
“We’ll be patient, we’ll make sure we have the right players; not just this season but for many years. It’s a really competitive group and as we add to the group, it will only going to strengthen our chances of success. We want to be as competitive as possible and make sure we achieve big things.
“I am completely confident we will continue to be the team we are. My job is to improve the team, and to push it. I’m excited for the season.”
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).
