Three Things We Learned against the Red Bulls with Ian Joy

Here are three things we learned from the New York Derby on July 3. 

1. Jack Harrison has it

Jack Harrison came up with yet again another huge performance having a goal and an assist in the Derby. He is not your average MLS player who is having a good spell, this guy has immense talent and he is showing his potential to the world. Having the ability to change the game is not something that is easily learnt and more often than not it is a talent that you are born with, but to be able to do it on the big stage you have to have confidence in your own mind to mentally push you past the fear factor and simply go for it. 

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Many kids fail at this, but not Jack. Jack is not frightened to take defenders on 1 vs 1, he is not worried about making a mistake. He doesn't care if a teammate yells to pass the ball or do better with a cross. He takes it all in and makes sure he improves game after gameand every single training session. 

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Sure it helps to be surrounded by experience and MLS veterans that will help his progress, but at the end of the day only Jack can make it happen and my oh my he is turning heads with his Skill. One particular situation stands out to me when the derby challenges and nasty tackles were going down, Harrison went flying into a 50/50 and came out with the ball then attacked the goal for the 10th time in the game! He showed me a passion, desire and love for the game that few players in the world have. Excellent performance once again from the No. 1 draft pick and he is very quickly becoming one of the first names on the team sheet and already on his way to being a candidate for MLS Rookie of the year. 

2. Patrick Vieira has a strong squad

Patrick Vieira showed confidence in his squad and the depth in this Club. Jason Hernandez started at right back, RJ Allen moved from right back to left back and Jefferson Mena got his second consecutive start at center back. I absolutely love how consistent RJ is playing no matter what position on the field he starts at. Jason returned from suspension to step in at full back and looked solid in that position in what I think was one of his better performances of the season. Mena's performance last week in Seattle was not a one off, as he had another consistent performance next to the strong and impressive Frederic Billant. 

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When you have a strong squad of players that is deep in numbers it is always best to play the players that are in form and consistent, Patrick is doing exactly that with Iraola, keeping his place at defensive midfielder forcing Federico Bravo to be patient on the bench since his return. Take a good look at the bench right now... Khiry Shelton, Bravo, Patrick Mullins and Mikey Lopez all talented players itching for a chance to get on the field. Patrick Vieira is creating a competitive environment within our club and it can only bring success.

3. It feels good to be in top form

Who cares if the other teams behind us have games in hand! While the squad has faced scrutiny for late game-tying goals and inconsistent results, those who have been critical must now acknowledge the team’s improvement in play. Lampard, Pirlo, Villa, who have high expectations to live up to,should be commended for their resolve and leadership, showing heart for the badge on their jerseys. I must also give much needed credit to Josh Saunders after another clean sheet – he came up with a big performance, giving him even more confidence heading to New England. 

I am happiest for those that matter the most – the fans! All of you that have been with this club from the beginning or even those that have fallen in love since, I truly hope you are looking at our recent performances proudly, knowing that your commitment to this club has helped put us in the position we are today. Enjoy!

Ian Joy - Follow @JOYPAULIAN Twitter / Instagram / Snapchat 

Joy played over 250 league games for five different teams in England, Scotland, Germany, and the MLS. Joy's 14-year pro career started in Scotland before he moved on to England and then to Germany (playing for Hamburger SV and then FC St Pauli in the Bundesliga). After joining Real Salt Lake in 2008, he helped the team reach the playoffs that year, the first post-season berth in franchise history. After an injury-plagued start to the 2009 MLS season for Real Salt Lake, Joy returned to Germany for a brief spell before accepting an offer stateside to captain the 2010 Portland Timbers team in what would turn out to be his last-ever season as a player.
Following his retirement, Joy did TV and radio color commentary for FC Dallas and Real Salt Lake. From August 2012, Joy had been a soccer analyst for beIN Sports, where he has held multiple roles including color commentator and studio analyst working on Serie A, French Ligue 1 and La Liga telecasts. He also hosted beIN Sports' 2014 World Cup studio show from Rio. 

In August 2015 Joy moved to FOX Sports where he hosts the Bundesliga and Europe League coverage. 

Joy was born in San Diego and was raised in Scotland.