Head Coach Patrick Vieira has opted not to change a winning team for the visit of Montreal Impact.
The Frenchman has named the same XI which swept DC United away in the Home Opener, retaining Ethan White at right-back.
White is joined by Ronald Matarrita, Maxime Chanot and Alexander Callens in defense, in front of Sean Johnson who keeps his place in goal.
There’s a midfield three of Alex Ring, Andrea Pirlo and Maxi Moralez who will be aiming to provide service to a David Villa, Jack Harrison and Rodney Wallace front three.
The bench remains the same, with Jonathan Lewis and Ben Sweat still awaiting their debuts.
NYCFC are chasing their second win of the season, while Montreal arrive at Yankee Stadium chasing their first three points of the campaign.
Impact tied 2-2 with Seattle Sounders on gameday two, following their opening day defeat to Real Salt Lake.
NYCFC XI: Johnson, Matarrita, Chanot, Callens, White, Ring, Pirlo, Moralez, Wallace, Harrison, Villa (C)
NYCFC Subs: Johansen, Sweat, Brillant, Herrera, McNamara, Lewis, Okoli
Key Stats
- NYCFC is 3W-1L-1D vs. Montreal all-time. There has been an average of 3.6 goals per game across the five league matchups between the two sides.
- NYCFC has won eight of their last nine MLS home games (1D), averaging 3.1 goals per game across this run. They have scored four goals in three consecutive home MLS regular season games.
- Montreal has only conceded 12 goals in their last 11 MLS regular season away games, although they have only kept three clean sheets on that run (2W-4L-5D).
- Ignacio Piatti has scored three of the last five Montreal goals against NYCFC (seven total goals against NYCFC in franchise history). Piatti leads the league with nine dribbles completed so far this season (only three players have completed more than six).
- Maxi Moralez had two assists against D.C. United. This is just the tenth instance of a NYCFC player having two assists in a single MLS game, and Moralez becomes only the eighth player to accomplish this feat (Andrea Pirlo and Khiry Shelton have each done it twice.)
- Following his brace at the weekend, David Villa has now registered 11 multi-goal games in the MLS regular season since 2015, the most of any player in the league in that time frame.
- So far this year, NYCFC is facing an average of 2.5 shots on target per game. They faced an average of 5.7 shots on target in their first year, and 4.8 in 2016.
- Following on from last weekend’s game against Seattle, Matteo Mancuso now has five goals in his last seven MLS appearances (including playoffs). He only had three goals in his first 15 MLS games.
- NYCFC has scored 71 home goals since they joined the league in 2015, the third-most in that time span.
- Last year, Montreal conceded 16 headed goals, the most of any MLS team. NYCFC scored only four headed goals, tied for the fewest of any MLS team.
