Team Focus: Defensive Arrivals Set to Make an Impact for NYCFC

Three new signings stood in front of the press, and yet the cameras were trained on only one. Nearly a year had passed since Frank Lampard signed for New York City, and so the England international’s eventual arrival - following an impromptu loan spell at Manchester City - was a big deal. But the capture of Andoni Iraola and Angelino - the two players not shielding their eyes from the flashbulbs - could prove just as important for New York City FC. 

Even before the arrival of Lampard, NYCFC were at their strongest in the centre of midfield. They already have USA international Mix Diskerud there, as well as Italian hipster-icon Andrea Pirlo. Where exactly will Lampard fit into a side that already has its central unit pretty much sorted? 

Jason Kreis’ side are also well-equipped in attack, with Spain and Barcelona legend David Villa leading the line - and enjoying a successful debut season in MLS. It was at the back where New York City FC were in desperate need of reinforcement - with injuries handicapping an already thin backline - and that is what they have found in Iraola and Angelino. 

The two players endured fairly torrid debuts on Sunday, as Sebastian Giovinco scored a hat-trick to set Toronto FC on course for a 4-4 draw at Yankee Stadium. The contest was an enthralling affair, but was hardly the sort of solid defensive display either Iraola or Angelino would have wanted in their first outing for the club.

Nevertheless, New York City FC are now in better defensive stead following the addition of the two Spaniards. They may not have shown it against Toronto FC, when everything was still rather fluid, but Iraola and Angelino will have a real impact in shoring up a shoddy NYC FC backline. 

Despite a generally substandard performance, Iraola made four tackles against Toronto FC - higher than the average of any other NYCFC player for the season. Until the weekend Chris Wingert had been their most prolific tackler - averaging two tackles per game, with Kwame Watson-Siriboe averaging 3.8 interceptions per game. 

Jason Hernandez and Shay Facey are among the league’s best clearance-makers, with the two averaging 5.7 and 5.3 clearances per game, respectively. Iraola by trade isn’t the most prolific of tacklers, interceptors or clearer - at least going on his statistics from last season’s La Liga campaign - but the former Athletic Club man will provide NYCFC with structure - and general quality - that they were lacking on the right side of defence. 

With Lampard now part of his squad, Kreis might shift his formation, but much of NYCFC’s defensive struggles have been down to the lack of movement between the backline and the midfield. Kreis has so far lacked someone to bring the back out of defence, with Hernandez not particularly suited to that role. 

Wingert tends to see a lot of the ball as centre-back - averaging 46.1 passes per game - but that is only through necessity rather than suitability. The 33-year-old is not especially adept on the ball, with NYCFC’s forward movements frequently lacking impetuous when it’s left up to Wingert to bring possession into midfield. That’s where Angelino could come in. 

Sure, the on-loan Man City player is most naturally a full-back, but he is the technically astute player NYCFC need in their defensive ranks. As Kreis explained at Angelino’s unveiling: "For a team that wants to play the way we do, he has all the attributes you’d want to see in an outside back. Defensively he’s very good in 1-v-1 battles, but is also effective in getting forward and serving good balls into the box." 

And that’s another area where Angelino will surely improve New York City FC. The Yankee Stadium pitch - the narrowest permitted in football - doesn’t exactly lend itself to wide play, but Kreis is lacking someone to provide deliveries into the box - with an average of just 0.8 crosses per game making Javier Calle their best crosser this season. Iraola might therefore be most useful on the road, on wider pitches. 

"We’ve been through some stretches where we’ve had hardly any defenders," Kreis said at the unveiling of NYCFC’s three latest signings, referring to the defensive arrivals in particular. "We’ve had to play Pablo Alvarez at right back this season. Last game we had zero defenders [on the bench.] We had four guys that were healthy enough to play and available, and we had no other options.  

"So for me, we need more defenders and we need more competition within the group. That’s what the truly best teams have, they have competition week in and week out for who will start and who will make the 18." 

So while most will focus on what Lampard’s capture will mean for New York City FC, Kreis seems to be one of the few who recognise that Iraola and Angelino could be his side’s most important mid-season signings.

What do you make of New York City FC's defensive acquisitions? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below