Richy Ledezma says he is settling well into life at New York City Football Club.
The midfielder – a loan signing from PSV Eindhoven – has featured in every game since joining the Club at the end of March.
Introduced from the bench for his home debut against Atlanta United, he almost marked his first Yankee Stadium appearance with a goal late on, after impressing with notable cameo displays on the road.
Though he was unfortunate not to have netted a late winner against the Five Stripes, he says he has thoroughly enjoyed his first weeks in Bronx Blue, building new relationships both on and off the pitch.
“It’s going well,” he said. “I’m happy to be with this team.
“There are a lot of talented guys upfront, and I’m working with them every day, building chemistry together every day.
“We’re feeling more comfortable every day that’s going by in training.
“That’s how we’re getting to know each other, and also outside the pitch, so that’s positive.
“I came here to help this team as much as I can. I was excited to be here for my first home game.
“I had the opportunity to score so I'm kind of upset, but other than that, we have to keep working to become a better team.”
Fellow newbie Mitja Ilenič has also enjoyed plenty of gametime since his arrival from NK Domžale in January.
The offensive full-back has experienced a whirlwind few weeks, having featured in five of our seven games, as well as representing Slovenia Under-19s on international duty in March.
Eager to learn from the valuable experience around him, the 18-year-old says he is relishing the challenge as an opportunity for his development.
“When I came back from the New England [Revolution] game, I had played four games in ten days,” Ilenič explained. “The whole traveling, time difference, goes behind you and I felt so tired on days like never before.
“I'm feeling good now, and looking forward to the next games. I’ve never had a schedule like that with travel, but this is part of soccer and I need to adapt to this.”
City welcome Nashville SC to Citi Field this weekend, looking to return to winning ways and continue our fine home form.
On the back of two successive comeback draws against New England and Atlanta, the youngster says he and the squad are putting in the hard yards in search of a winning streak.
“I think we performed well [against Atlanta],” he added. “They got the goal from a set-piece, so we need to improve there.
“A point is good but when we are home, we always try for the three points. That was the primary goal before the game.
“When we saw we had one man more on the pitch [following Franco Ibarra’s red card], we wanted to go full in, and get the three points.
“We didn’t get the three points, but it is a good result for us. We need to train hard, and prepare for the next game.
“We play at home again, so I’m looking forward to three points.”
NYCFC are back on home soil next weekend for the second of our three-game home stand.
The Boys in Blue welcome Nashville SC to Citi Field on Saturday, April 16 in a 7:30pm ET kick-off.
Tickets for the game are now available. Don't miss your chance to cheer on the City Boys!
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