NYCFC without stars: right strategy?

No more stars from Europe, no great players and well known. Change the line of New York City FC. If previously, the Blues have always had a great name in the team, David Villa, Andrea Pirlo and Frank Lampard, things will change from this season. 

Four years ago New York City F.C. had two of the best midfielders in the world, Andrea Pirlo and Frank Lampard, along with one of the best forwards, David Villa.

Lampard left in 2016, Pirlo left in 2017, and Villa leaving in 2018.

The club didn’t replace their stars with others stars. After Lampard left in 2016, NYCFC acquired Maxi Moralez. After Pirlo’s departure the next defensive midfielders NYCFC brought in were homegrown player James Sands and former VfB Stuttgart man Ebenezer Ofori. And after Villa’s exit, the club signed rising Romanian star Alexandru Mitrita. 

Over time, New York has never replaced its stars with other great players. A choice that can be shared or not, but that still leaves some pending questions. Will New York City FC succeed in winning without even a big star? Will New York City FC succeed in making a difference without even a great player?

It is clear that the players who are now there are talents. There is the right mix between young players and others with great experience. But the key player that New York has always had is missing. The sporting director Claudio Reyna spoke of a strategic decision to not rely more on players known in the world of football. 

According to Reyna, "the team now has the right maturity, as well as the fans and we want to see a team that gives 100%". These are the reasons why we will focus on players who have yet to show off and be known, rather than players at the end of their careers.

New York City FC trusts in the motivations that young players can have and who want to be known by world football. Will this choice be repaid? We will know it at the end of the season.