After his team dropped a result to the New England Revolution on the road at Gillette Stadium, it was inevitable that reporters would ask Patrick Vieira about the red card issued to Jack Harrison in the 26th minute.
READ: Match Recap: NYCFC 1-2 New England
Vieira candidly revealed his disappointment at the decision, but praised the Revolution, saying they deserved to win with or without a man advantage.
"The sending-off changed the flow and feel of the game," admitted Vieira, "but I thought they played really well.
"I don't want to take away how well they played today, because New England, with the way they played, showed they are a really good side, and fully deserved to win the game.
Asked about how his side tried to bounce back from the red card, Vieira shed some light on the tactics of a squad still trying to impose themselves on a match with one less player on the field.
"Sometimes, you want to go forward," explained Patrick, "but we have to give credit to the opposition and the way they played, because we didn't have many different options.
"We would try to go forward, but the way they were moving the ball around and the quality they have in midfield, it was really difficult for us to go higher and put pressure on them."
"They were really well organized, and sometimes you have to accept that the opposition can play better."
HIGHLIGHTS: NYCFC 1-2 New England
The Revolution do tend to play much better at home. When the final whistle blew, they locked up their 12th win of the season at Gillette Stadium.
Now, the focus for Vieira and his men shifts to the final matchday of the season, where they'll face off against Columbus Crew SC with a first-round playoff bye on the line. Despite the high stakes, the Head Coach knows his squad is in a good place.
"We're still in a good position, because when you have destiny in your hand, it's a good position," noted the gaffer. "I'm sure the other teams behind us would want to be in our position.
"We know what we have to do, so we'll have to work really hard this week and try to work around what we can improve during the week, and try to get ready."
His team is still in a good spot in the Eastern Conference standings, and before the red card, Vieira noted some positives on the field today. With promising takeaways heading into the ultimate week of the regular season, he's bullish on City's immediate future.
Vieira elaborated: "When it was eleven against eleven, the way we moved the ball around, I think we managed to play it through the lines, we went up through the buildup on one side and finished on the other side.
"So, we're disappointed about the sending off, but we managed to find a way to play as well as we wanted, until we were ten against eleven.
"The way we prepare for the last game of the season and the way we prepare for the playoffs, we're not going to change. We play games to try to win."
