Without a win through five games, Philadelphia Union host NYCFC cast in the role of wounded animal.
That’s why Head Coach Patrick Vieira is sure that his team will be in for a tough examination on Friday night at the Talen Energy Stadium.
Coming off the back of a disappointing road game at DC, the Frenchman is eager for his side to put their best foot forward on this short trip south.
He told NYCFC.com: “It’s going to be another tough game for us and we’re going to have to be ready to compete because they’re going through a difficult period but last year I remember the game we played there and we lost 2-0.
“We have to go there and be ready to fight before thinking about playing football.”
Vieira was unhappy with the lack of aggression shown by his team in DC last weekend and is expecting a reaction from his men on a Friday night under the lights in the City of Brotherly Love.
“I think it got away from us because of the way we started the game,” Vieira said.
“I think we gave DC a lot of hope and I don’t think we were aggressive enough. When you give them hope, with the quality of the players they have, they hurt us.
“It’s a game that gives us a lot of frustration because we should have got something from it and I think that as a team we learned a lot from it.
“It’s always a good atmosphere in Philadelphia and of course playing at 7pm, that will be really good. We’re looking forward to the game because it will be two teams who need to win games and I think if we manage to play the way we know and add a little bit more aggression, we’ll have a chance.”
Finally, Patrick revealed that he hopes that the FIFA World Cup will come to these shores following the announcement of a joint-bid between USA, Canada and Mexico earlier this week.
He added: “I think when you look at the way the game is developing in the last ten years, having the World Cup would be a massive boost and a massive step forward, so I wish them all the best and hope they win the bid.”
