Competition for places is really heating up at New York City FC.
Maxime Chanot is back in contention to play after missing the 2-2 tie at LAFC last Sunday, meaning Patrick Vieira has a full complement of players to choose from this weekend.
Colorado Rapids are the visitors as the Boys in Blue return to the Bronx for some home cooking.
Vieira told NYCFC.com: “It’s really important for me to have all of the players available for the game. We have to evaluate the players’ performances in the last game and in training and look at the best way to choose the XI to win the game.
“It will be a difficult one but what is really good is that they’re working well and competing against each other for a place in the team. That’s what I want from them.
“The team is feeling good after a really good performance against LAFC away from home. We’re looking forward to finally playing at home – we’re really looking forward to the game of course.”
City are looking to end a run of two games without a victory after falling to defeat in the first Hudson River Derby of the season and the afore-mentioned draw in Tinseltown.
For Vieira, it’s a case of his players resetting and getting back to the kind of combination play that paved the way for his team’s long unbeaten start to 2018.
“I think it’s important for us to try to get back to basics,” the Frenchman said.
“I think we lost a little bit of our momentum and some of our simplicity in the game. We need to play together, to play better as a team. I think in the last few games it wasn’t the best, so it’s important for us to play again as a team when we’re in position.”
Colorado arrive in New York following four successive defeats but Vieira doesn’t believe it will be easy for his side to continue their 100% home start.
Patrick added: “It’s a team who are really well organized. A team that make it difficult to create chances, so we must respect the game, to move the ball quickly from one side to another and, most importantly, to play together as a team.”
