New York City FC's head coach, Pascal Jansen, has expressed confidence in his team's readiness as they approach the 2025 MLS season opener against Inter Miami CF on Saturday.
After an intensive four-week preseason in California, Jansen believes the squad has embraced new ideas and elevated their performance levels.
"Progress has been made," Jansen stated. "Obviously, we were close together, working about four weeks, six games, [working on] the things that we want to get across and the new ideas that we have.”
Jansen emphasized improvements in both offensive and defensive aspects of the game. "I think the intensity has gone up. There's slightly more diversity in the attacking play, and we're trying to get more established out of possession," he noted. "Consistency is needed within this squad, and it is something that we're aiming for.
"You also see there's quite a few changes within the squad. Some players are not available during preseason, so we had to get everybody up to speed, and I think we're there and ready to play in the league now.”
Looking ahead to the matchup against Miami, Jansen and his coaching staff have conducted thorough analyses of their opponent's recent performances, including their midweek win against Sporting Kansas City.
"It was more a confirmation from the games that we saw previously also played by Inter Miami," Jansen said of the midweek game against SKC. "As you know, they played quite a few games in preseason, competitive games also, and yesterday was a confirmation.
"Apart from a few guys that were not available for this game—like Jordi Alba wasn't playing, but we expect him to play on Saturday—but as I said, it was more confirmation of what we already knew."
Jansen highlighted the importance of monitoring Miami's offensive threats, particularly forwards Luis Suárez and Lionel Messi.
"They're very important for their style of play," he observed. "You have to be really careful where Luis Suárez and Lionel Messi are, because those are the guys that will make the difference."
Jansen also reflected on the tactical changes made by Javier Mascherano, who was appointed in November. “You can see the defensive structure in their way of playing has changed a little bit. I think it's a little bit more disciplined than it was before," Jansen said. "But then again, once they're in possession, especially in the turnovers going into attack, you have to be really careful.
"In the setup, as expected, Sergio Busquets is also very important. If Jordi Alba plays, he's a very dominant figure on the left side."
You can watch New York City FC’s season opener on Saturday, February 22. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30PM ET.
