"I strongly believe that we can do it."
After a swashbuckling performance by Columbus at their home stadium, the objective is clear for Patrick Vieira and NYCFC in the second leg match-up at Yankee Stadium.
Even though City made things a little more difficult than they would have wanted, Vieira believes his side has what it takes to turn things around.
"When you concede four goals away from home, you make things very difficult for yourselves," said Vieira. "Of course, it is going to be a tough challenge, but it is a challenge that we are going to try to prepare ourselves for, and get ready for it.
"We're gonna try. It will be really important to internalize the game tonight and come away with a plan of how to create chances and try not to concede. We're going to give ourselves a good chance. Every time that we play them, we have the opportunity to score goals--not just one, but a few goals."
Getting things back to normal against Columbus will be key for Vieira, whose side haven't been very efficient in front of goal as of late.
"In the last seven or eight games, when we were struggling to win games a little bit, the content of our game was there," explained gaffer.
"It's just, we don't score goals. When you look at the number of chances we created in the first half, we didn't take our chances.
"They took their chances and we didn't take them. When you create so many chances and you only score once, it's not good enough."
Making matters worse for New York City was the red card given to Alexander Callens in the 52nd minute. Not only did it put City down a man for the rest of the match, but the defender who played every single minute of the MLS regular season will be unavailable for the second leg at Yankee Stadium.
"It wasn't easy for us. I think they really put us under pressure after the red card. They scored two goals and we didn't keep our calm, but I think when you are one man down, the team has to do a little more, and we didn't do it," observed Vieira.
"When people don't do that extra, you suffer. And we did."
Despite that red, Vieira is confident in the abilities of both Ben Sweat and Ethan White to fill in at center back. The key takeaway tonight for Vieira was that even though City created plenty of chances, they need to take it one step further.
"What will be important for us is that we have to take our chances," he said.
"We paid the price heavily tonight."
