Pascal Jansen: "We're ready, we want to do better than last year"

New York City FC Head Coach Pascal Jansen speaks to the media ahead of New York City FC's season opener against LA Galaxy on Sunday, February 22: "I'm not entirely happy with this start to the season. We had a few injuries during the preseason. Some guys aren't 100%; they need some time to recover, but we're not worried. Adien O'Neill won't be making his debut, and Talles also has some issues he's been carrying around for a while, specifically since Austin. Jonny Shore also has some physical issues since Tampa."

What are the most positive things you've seen during the preseason? "We lost some key players; we had to reset and find the right chemistry with the new group. We're a united group. I was happy in the games against LA and San Jose, but the biggest victory of the preseason was helping the new players integrate into the team. We're focused on the players who are available right now. We're ready for the debut; even though we're missing some players, we're not worried."

What are your goals for the season? "As a team and staff, we want to do better than last year. The guys are hungry, as am I. We want to be more successful than last season. I'm happy that the team is ready to compete, the group is united. We've understood the mistakes we made in the past, and we want to be successful this season."