New York City FC Head Coach Ronny Deila believes his side can take confidence from their previous meetings against New England Revolution this season.
The two sides will meet for a third time on Saturday evening at Gillette Stadium, with both sides collecting a win apiece already this season. The Revs secured a 3-2 success earlier in the year thanks to a late strike from Tommy McNamara, while the more recent meeting in the Bronx was decided by a brace from MLS Player of the Month for August Taty Castellanos.
Asked what he felt his side could learn from facing off against the team currently atop the Eastern Conference, Deila replied, “That we can beat them. We beat them for two weeks ago, and we were very dominant. The game we lost in Red Bull Arena was also very even. We gave two goals in the end of the game and also we gave away in the first half. We had a penalty and along with the goalkeeper [Matt Turner playing well] we missed our chances.
“As I said before, New England is a really good team, but at the same time, it's small differences between the teams in MLS, and we can beat anybody when we are at our best and that's why it's very nice for me to prepare games because I know what we are capable to do. It's about what we are doing, and adapting a bit to what they are, and be very aware of what they're good at.”
Deila will hope his side can take three points on Saturday night as they look to close the gap at the top of the Eastern Conference, with the Norwegian clear on the task his side are facing.
“Everybody knows they are direct, they play off the two strikers or one striker and one 10 behind,” he said. “They score on crosses, they have speed on the sides, and they have Carles Gil, that they can do something special. It's about taking their strength out or at the same time also exploiting their weaknesses.”
