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| New York City FC's Lampard-Pirlo-Villa axis falls to feisty Red Bulls | New York City FC's Lampard-Pirlo-Villa axis falls to feisty Red Bulls |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Jason Kreis gleefully rubbed his hands before kick-off yet by the end of a pulsating 90 minutes, familiar problems came back to haunt him and his woefully inconsistent New York City FC side. | Jason Kreis gleefully rubbed his hands before kick-off yet by the end of a pulsating 90 minutes, familiar problems came back to haunt him and his woefully inconsistent New York City FC side. |
| The sight of Andrea Pirlo, Frank Lampard and David Villa starting a match together for the very first time would have had Kreis eagerly anticipating a first derby victory over the New York Red Bulls and a triumph which would kick-start a push for the end of season playoffs. | The sight of Andrea Pirlo, Frank Lampard and David Villa starting a match together for the very first time would have had Kreis eagerly anticipating a first derby victory over the New York Red Bulls and a triumph which would kick-start a push for the end of season playoffs. |
| Related: Giovani dos Santos scores debut goal as LA Galaxy beat Seattle Sounders | Related: Giovani dos Santos scores debut goal as LA Galaxy beat Seattle Sounders |
| What transpired, however, was quite different. Bradley Wright-Phillips, who scored both goals in the first win over their newest rivals in May before proving the difference in June at Yankee Stadium, was on the money once more, opening the scoring on 21 minutes and running the channels superbly before Felipe Martins settled matters at the death. | |
| Lampard, who seemed to have overcome the calf problem which had stalled the start of his MLS career, looked sharp and threw himself into everything. Ultimately, though, it wasn’t enough. | Lampard, who seemed to have overcome the calf problem which had stalled the start of his MLS career, looked sharp and threw himself into everything. Ultimately, though, it wasn’t enough. |
| You can have all the attacking prowess in the world, yet if a team cannot defend, there is no hope.A new franchise like NYC FC without doubt need time to gel. | You can have all the attacking prowess in the world, yet if a team cannot defend, there is no hope.A new franchise like NYC FC without doubt need time to gel. |
| Time, though, is running out and with every defeat, their task to reach the post-season becomes harder. | Time, though, is running out and with every defeat, their task to reach the post-season becomes harder. |
| “I believe in my heart we are capable of a lot of things, “ said Kreis. “We can still make the playoffs, if we do people will be nervous. There is no speeding up of time though, God didn’t give me that gift, so the training and time together is important. We need minutes together. | “I believe in my heart we are capable of a lot of things, “ said Kreis. “We can still make the playoffs, if we do people will be nervous. There is no speeding up of time though, God didn’t give me that gift, so the training and time together is important. We need minutes together. |
| “I don’t think the atmosphere would have bothered Lampard, Pirlo or Villa. This wasn’t a big deal for them but there was a lot of positives. This team is alive and we can make something of the opportunity.” | “I don’t think the atmosphere would have bothered Lampard, Pirlo or Villa. This wasn’t a big deal for them but there was a lot of positives. This team is alive and we can make something of the opportunity.” |
| Lampard, like his manager, continues to believe. “I think we had some chances but, from a personal point of view, I am only going to get fitter and those opportunities I had will be put away,” said the former Chelsea and England midfielder. | Lampard, like his manager, continues to believe. “I think we had some chances but, from a personal point of view, I am only going to get fitter and those opportunities I had will be put away,” said the former Chelsea and England midfielder. |
| “I am sure the three of us can help contributing and the whole team can improve over the next few weeks. I am very confident, and I know the season is going quickly but with the ability we have here, it will soon start gelling and we can win the games we need to reach the playoffs.” | “I am sure the three of us can help contributing and the whole team can improve over the next few weeks. I am very confident, and I know the season is going quickly but with the ability we have here, it will soon start gelling and we can win the games we need to reach the playoffs.” |
| Kreis will shudder at replays of Wright-Phillips’ opener, a routine cross appallingly dealt with by the cumbersome Jefferson Mena allowing the former Southampton and Charlton striker the easiest of tasks. | Kreis will shudder at replays of Wright-Phillips’ opener, a routine cross appallingly dealt with by the cumbersome Jefferson Mena allowing the former Southampton and Charlton striker the easiest of tasks. |
| Yet he refused to castigate the Colombian who has endured a torrid start to life in MLS. “I thought he had a good game despite the mistake, “ Kreis added. “I thought the ref had a very poor night. There was a foul on our player in the build up to the goal.” | Yet he refused to castigate the Colombian who has endured a torrid start to life in MLS. “I thought he had a good game despite the mistake, “ Kreis added. “I thought the ref had a very poor night. There was a foul on our player in the build up to the goal.” |
| Wright-Phillips clearly revels in ruffling illustrious feathers – he has now scored in each of the three Hudson River derby fixtures and his 10th of the season ensured Kreis’ side were always chasing the game. | Wright-Phillips clearly revels in ruffling illustrious feathers – he has now scored in each of the three Hudson River derby fixtures and his 10th of the season ensured Kreis’ side were always chasing the game. |
| The key to it all was the nullifying of Lampard, Pirlo and Villa. While Lampard impressed in his first full start – the midfielder should have scored after just two minutes and was involved in everything which was good about an ultimately disjointed display from City – Pirlo and Villa cut thoroughly dejected figures. | The key to it all was the nullifying of Lampard, Pirlo and Villa. While Lampard impressed in his first full start – the midfielder should have scored after just two minutes and was involved in everything which was good about an ultimately disjointed display from City – Pirlo and Villa cut thoroughly dejected figures. |
| The Italian, like Lampard, is still searching for full fitness yet the Red Bulls midfield of Sacha Kljestan , Felipe Martins and the tireless Dax McCarty rose to the challenge superbly. | The Italian, like Lampard, is still searching for full fitness yet the Red Bulls midfield of Sacha Kljestan , Felipe Martins and the tireless Dax McCarty rose to the challenge superbly. |
| “We stood up to their big time players really well and made it hard for them, we didn’t give them a lot of free looks,: said a delighted Marsch whose side remain superbly placed in second in the Eastern Conference having stretched their unbeaten run to five games. | “We stood up to their big time players really well and made it hard for them, we didn’t give them a lot of free looks,: said a delighted Marsch whose side remain superbly placed in second in the Eastern Conference having stretched their unbeaten run to five games. |
| “Villa didn’t have an easy day and that’s credit to our guys. It was a big emphasis to make sure the other two [Lampard and Pirlo] didn’t have an easy day. Our midfield took it as a personal challenge, playing against such great players. We closed down space, they broke us down at times but we made it hard for them. We wanted to prove a point and we did that.” | “Villa didn’t have an easy day and that’s credit to our guys. It was a big emphasis to make sure the other two [Lampard and Pirlo] didn’t have an easy day. Our midfield took it as a personal challenge, playing against such great players. We closed down space, they broke us down at times but we made it hard for them. We wanted to prove a point and we did that.” |
| Results aside, both supporters will already be eyeing next season’s derbies with relish after all three games have provided the kind of drama and atmosphere which MLS badly needs in its quest to become of one the world’s elite competitions. | Results aside, both supporters will already be eyeing next season’s derbies with relish after all three games have provided the kind of drama and atmosphere which MLS badly needs in its quest to become of one the world’s elite competitions. |
| It has captured the imagination here, and the Red Bulls manager has seen it first hand. | It has captured the imagination here, and the Red Bulls manager has seen it first hand. |
| “I saw two guys yelling at each other on Fifth Avenue the other day, one was wearing a Red Bulls shirt, the other had NYC FC colors. They didn’t even know I was there – but it was great,” smiled Marsch. “I have never seen the city so alive with soccer. It has been awesome.” | “I saw two guys yelling at each other on Fifth Avenue the other day, one was wearing a Red Bulls shirt, the other had NYC FC colors. They didn’t even know I was there – but it was great,” smiled Marsch. “I have never seen the city so alive with soccer. It has been awesome.” |