NEW YORK – David Villa will start up front, that much is certain.
But who will partner with the Spanish legend in New York City FC’s second home game against Sporting Kansas City Saturday night at Yankee Stadium (7 pm ET, MLS LIVE)?
That is one of several lineup decisions NYCFC coach Jason Kreis must make because of international call-ups, injuries and a red-card suspension.
Adam Nemec was the forward of choice for Kreis through NYCFC’s first three games. But the 29-year-old is with the Slovakian national team for a UEFA Euro 2016 qualifier vs. Luxembourg and a friendly against the Czech Republic.
Nemec hasn’t scored a goal in three starts. But Kreis has been impressed with all the little things the 6-foot-3 center forward has done, especially his ability to hold up the ball, attract central defenders and allow Villa to float out to the left as midfielders like Ned Grabavoy and Sebastian Velasquez join the attack.
“In order to do that, you need someone who is willing to take a little bit of the brunt of the battle from defenders. Adam has done a terrific job with his work rate up there for us and holding the ball,” Kreis said. “I think he’s a much better soccer player than people tend to give him credit for. He has really good feet.”
Kreis has brought Khiry Shelton off the bench in all three games, but he too is on international duty with the US U-23s.
Perhaps Kreis will give Patrick Mullins his first NYCFC start on Saturday night. The 23-year-old came on as a substitute and scored a late insurance goal in a 2-0 win over the New England Revolution in the expansion club’s home opener.
“With the team that will be fielded, we’re expected to give a good performance,” Mullins said. “And if that means my number is called, I’ll be ready to contribute as best as I can.”
- Find more Blues news at NYCFC.com
Kreis also has decisions to make in the midfield, where Velasquez is out with a pulled groin, and in the back where Josh Williams (viral pericarditis) and Shay Facey (one-game suspension) are unavailable.
That might mean Chris Wingert sliding over to fullback and Kwame Watson-Siriboe playing centrally, which was the case when Facey was sent off late against the Colorado Rapids last Saturday.
“This is the interesting part of being in this situation, because I’ve done a lot of preaching about how deep I think this team is, right?” Kreis said. “And I’ve said we have some really great players who haven’t had big opportunities yet.
“With every injury, with every international call-up, with every reason players will be missing comes opportunity. And I see this is a big opportunity for some guys in the midfield like Tony Taylor, Javier Calle and Tommy McNamara.”
