New York City FC focus on fast start as they seek slump-breaking win over Chicago Fire on UDN

PURCHASE, N.Y. – How can New York City FC snap out of their eight-game winless streak?

NYCFC coach Jason Kreis said a positive start Friday night against the Chicago Fire at Yankee Stadium (7 pm ET, Univision Deportes/UnivisionDeportes.com and in English via SAP, MLS LIVE in Canada/Mexico) will go a long way toward achieving that.

“For all of our good play and good starts to our home matches, we haven’t rewarded ourselves with the goal that should come with that momentum,” Kreis said. “Once we start to do that, once we reward ourselves and put the ball in the back of the net in the first 15, 20, 30 minutes of the game, then I think we’re going to have a whole influx of confidence.”

In addition to a goal in the opening half-hour, Kreis said it is imperative that the expansion side avoids conceding a goal during that same time. That didn’t happen Sunday against the Red Bulls, when NYCFC found themselves trailing inside the opening five minutes when an unmarked Bradley Wright-Phillips easily tapped in from the edge of the six-yard box.

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It also didn’t happen in the first meeting of the season against the Fire, when a gaffe by backup goalkeeper
Ryan Meara
gifted
David Accam
a goal in the 20th minute.

“In too many matches, you look at the first goal scored against us, you think, ‘How was that so easy?’ We’re making some individual mental mistakes that need to be taken care of,” Kreis said.

In NYCFC’s six losses, the club conceded the first goal inside the opening 30 minutes five times.

“Earlier in the year I was complaining all the time about how we’re starting matches," Kreis said. "But I think we’re actually starting matches with the right mentality now, but for one reason or another one player seems to make a real bad mental mistake and then the ball is in the back of the net.

“We have to get to a game where we say, ‘Nope, that’s not going to happen.’ We have to get to a halftime where we’re not down a goal.”

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The good news for NYCFC is that they continue to get healthier. On Thursday, Javier Calle was the only player not training with the full team and Shay Facey, on loan from Manchester City, has returned from England and could be in line for his third start.

As for the magic elixir to cure NYCFC’s woes, midfielder Mix Diskerud said it’s quite simple.

“We want to get that fresh start and start winning games. In soccer that’s what it is all about,” Diskerud said. “It’s more important to win games than play pretty soccer. I think everybody understands that.

“Of course we want to entertain, but right now it’s [winning] 2-1 and climbing the table.”

Dylan Butler covers New York City FC for MLSsoccer.com.