New York City FC head coach Pascal Jansen isn’t using the fixture congestion that his team has faced in recent weeks as any excuse for how the team has performed of late. Since returning from the World Cup break, NYC went from potentially hosting a playoff game to holding onto the ninth spot, with a chance of completely falling out of the picture should they lose on Saturday.
“We have to try to get better results,” said Jansen about his team’s current winless streak. “The fact that we have quick turnarounds is something that we have to deal with. Also, other teams in the league (have to as well). We don’t shy away from these things. We have to deal with this now.”
NYCFC last won a game in MLS all the way back on July 25th against Chicago Fire. Since then the club has only managed four points out of their last seven games. Most recently, their loss to New England Revolution brought their local rivals to 11 points higher in the standings. This weekend’s trip to Real Salt Lake also represents a difficult task. Currently in 10th place, RSL needs a win to keep their own playoff hopes aligned. Combined with a road form that has the club only taking 13 points all season and there is a possibility of more disaster for City.
One of the biggest issues for the Jansen has been the club’s inability to keep a clean sheet. Since July, the club only has one game where they didn’t allow a goal in MLS. That has led to moments of frustration as their offense has also stagnated as the club continues to push for the return of star striker Alonso Martinez.
“We’re prepared for this as much as we can be,” said Jansen about the team’s situation. “We have to make sure that we get our game to a certain level in order to make a good chance of getting a good result here tomorrow. That’s what we’re focused on.”
What approaches next week could be a de facto playoff game against Red Bull New York at Yankee Stadium. A loss for City could see them fall out of the playoff picture and a win for Red Bull could see them rise back into it. Only two points separate both clubs, putting extra pressure for a maximum result on Saturday.
photo by Jordan Bank