News

Vieira Frustrated Following Montreal Tie

PV On Montreal

The final result wasnā€™t what he wanted, but New York City FC coach Patrick Vieira saw plenty of positives to take away from a 1-1 draw against the Montreal Impact Saturday afternoon at Yankee Stadium.


ā€œI donā€™t have any doubts about the talent and quality of the players we have up front,ā€ Vieira said in the post-match press conference. ā€œBut it will be important for us to take our chances because we are not going to create a lot of chances like that in a lot of games. Those chances we create we need to score a few of those.ā€


The only goal came from Rodney Wallace, who pounced on a rebound for a second straight week to score.


ā€œHe fully deserved it because of the way heā€™s working for the team,ā€ Vieira said. ā€œHeā€™s a team player, gives everything when heā€™s on the field. I was really pleased with his goal because heā€™s working really hard when heā€™s on the field.ā€


Vieira said that Wallace has other qualities that have endeared him to his teammates and his coach.


ā€œHe loves the game, heā€™s working hard in training, in the game. Heā€™s got a really good attitude in the dressing room, all the players love him,ā€ Vieira said. ā€œI like his character and he did really well in the league. He won the title so he knows how to do it. Heā€™s got good experience as well. But what I really love about him is the way heā€™s competing when heā€™s on the field. He can score goals and he can do a lot of things.ā€

Vieira is also pleased with the improvements made week on week by Maxi Moralez, who nearly added his second goal of the year on a clinical counter attack midway through the second half.


ā€œMaxi is getting better and better. Heā€™s finding the space on the field, the relationship with Andrea [Pirlo] and Alex [Ring] is getting better as well,ā€ Vieira said. ā€œWhen the team plays that way, itā€™s part of Maxi as well because that is what we expect and what we want from him. I was really pleased with his game today.ā€


Vieira also praised the play of right back Ethan White, who limited the always dangerous Ignacio Piatti to one chance late in the first half.


ā€œWhen you look at the game Ethan played today, I think he was quite really solid,ā€ Vieira said. ā€œPiatti didnā€™t create much. He had only one chance where we hit the post because we lost the ball in the midfield. I was pleased with the defensive side of Ethan. Iā€™m quite lucky because I have two really good right backs.ā€


NYCFC has been better defensively this year, conceding just twice in three games, but Vieira said the credit isnā€™t reserved just for the back four and goalkeeper Sean Johnson.


ā€œAlways when we talk about the way we are defending I always talk about the team, itā€™s not just about the back four,ā€ Vieira said. ā€œWe are conceding less chances because David, Rodney and Jack has been working really hard. When we work hard up front we make it a big easier for our back four.ā€