Fresh off a gritty 1-0 road win over Toronto FC last weekend, New York City FC will return to Queens on Sunday (3 pm ET) as they take on Eastern Conference rival FC Cincinnati.
Currently sitting third in the East and led by an attacking trio of Kevin Denkey, Evander, and Luca Orellano, Cincinnati arrives in New York off the back of five straight wins – something they want to continue at Citi Field.
Still, despite the daunting task ahead, Pascal Jansen’s squad is riding high after their victory in Toronto. The Pigeons will want to continue their consistency, not only as a collective unit but also in midfield.
“We’re playing at home, and we want to bring joy to our fans and keep climbing the table. There are still a lot of games left, but picking up points now is really important,” midfielder Andres Perea told the media ahead of Sunday’s match.
“Our mentality is to go for the three points. We know FC Cincinnati is a strong opponent and are on a good run, but we’re home and have to make it count. We need to show who we are, back each other, and keep building on the work we’re doing with [Head Coach] Pascal [Jansen].”
Following the recent signing of Australian midfielder Aiden O’Neill and the return of Perea from a hip injury, NYCFC has even more options through the center of the park.
Injuries and player departures have hindered the Boys in Blue from finding a midfield pairing that can help support the attack. From Keaton Parks to Johnny Shore and Justin Haak, Jansen’s team was missing a slight offensive spark that could add dynamism to the final third.
Now that Perea is fit and ready to contribute significant minutes, Jansen hopes the Colombian-American can provide the threat that was missing.
“Having the connection with the number nine in particular, [Perea] can handle himself in tight areas as well as a midfield player,” Jansen said.
“But his movement off the ball is one of his strong qualities, if you ask me.”
Perea, who has only featured in four matches for NYCFC this year, offers depth and an attack-minded attitude in midfield, a crucial attribute for the side as they reach a busy part of the season schedule that will see them play four games over a two-week span.
“I’m very happy that [he’s] available again because it’s taken him a while to catch up with the rest of the team,” Jansen stated.
“His best qualities are his movement off the ball. He has good timing of the runs behind the defense. He can arrive in the box as well and get those goals starting from the second line, if you will, and staying attached to the attackers — even more so in a more offensive role.”
This new role Perea finds himself in is a challenge the ex-Orlando City player is relishing, particularly under Jansen’s tactical instructions.
“I’ve returned to the team, we’ve focused on being strong individually, especially in transitions,” Perea said.
“I’m a strong, athletic player, so we’ve been working on strengthening those parts of my game. Coach is still getting to know me, and I’m just working to show my full potential.”
With momentum on their side and midfield reinforcements back in the fold, NYCFC is prepared to bring a ‘bullet-proof’ mindset to their matchup against Cincinnati.
As the Boys in Blue reach the mid-point of the season, extra belief, depth, and attacking consistency will be the difference between putting themselves in a good position to make the playoffs or staying home.
