Patrick Vieira has shuffled his pack for the second of three back-to-back road games.
As expected, the Frenchman has opted to try to keep things fresh by making five changes to the XI which drew at FC Dallas last time out.
Miguel Camargo makes his first start of the season on the wing in place of Jack Harrison, while Sean Okoli, RJ Allen and Frederic Brillant make just their second starts of 2017.
Andrea Pirlo also comes back into the team for the first time since the 2-1 defeat to Orlando City on April 23.
Elsewhere, McNamara, who captains NYCFC in David Villa’s absence, appears to be starting in a wide berth on the opposite flank to Camargo with Maxi Moralez and Alex Ring retained in the center of midfield.
At the back, Brillant partners Alexander Callens ahead of Sean Johnson, with Allen lining up at left-back on the opposite side to Ethan White who keeps his place.
On the bench, Villa is joined by former RSL man John Stertzer, as well as Ben Sweat, Maxime Chanot, Jack Harrison, Mikey Lopez and Eirik Johansen.
NYCFC XI: Johnson, White, Brillant, Callens, Allen, Pirlo, Ring, Moralez, McNamara, Camargo, Okoli
How to Follow NYCFC at Real Salt Lake
Key Stats
- This will be the third meeting between the two sides. Real won the first two meetings by a combined score of 5-2, which includes a 2-0 win in Utah on May 23, 2015.
- Real Salt Lake has won just one of their last nine home games (4L-4D). They have been outscored 12-8 across those nine matches, which includes being shut out five times.
- New York City FC is unbeaten in their last three away contests, the third time in franchise history that they have had a streak of at least three road games without a loss. Last season, the club had a five-game road unbeaten streak that lasted from May 8 to July 6, 2016.
- NYCFC has scored 16 goals from open play this season. Only Atlanta United (19) has scored more.
- In two games against RSL so far, NYCFC have yet to score a first half goal. This year, only seven of 18 NYCFC goals (39%) have come in the first halves of games. Real Salt Lake have conceded 11 first half goals in 2017, the second most of any MLS team.
- RSL have conceded 13 goals across their last four MLS regular season games. This is the most they have conceded across any four-game stretch since August 10 through August 31, 2005.
