MLS Season Preview: New York City FC

With the MLS season set to begin on Friday, theScore runs down everything you need to know about each team heading into the league's 20th campaign. Here, we take a look at the team that has garnered the most attention in the offseason, New York City FC.

This ain't your granddad's expansion franchise.

Most teams entering their inaugural season, in any sport, are expected to struggle. New players, many of whom not quite up to the necessary standards, are often thrust into important roles and overwhelmed by the gulf in quality. It takes time to build an expansion team into one that can consistently compete for a championship.

Head coach Jason Kreis, brought in from Real Salt Lake, is expected to win. Now. His pedigree alone will buy him time, but make no mistake, results are expected quickly following an offseason of lavish expenditure.

The club, jointly-owned by City Football Group (75 percent) and the New York Yankees (25 percent) showed off their financial strength in the offseason, bringing in the likes of David Villa, Frank Lampard and Mix Diskerud.

The Lampard saga - he won't arrive with the club until Manchester City conclude their season - was a hilarious faux pas, and their have been other off-field distractions relating to their use of Yankee Stadium and restrictions on what fans can bring into the stands to enhance the atmosphere. 

But none of that can sully the fact that the squad, which even boasts some familiarity through former Real Salt Lake trio Chris Wingert, Ned Grabavoy and Sebastian Velasquez, is impressive.

New York's other team has enough to get into the playoffs on the first attempt.

Head Coach: Jason Kreis

Stadium: Yankee Stadium

Season Opener: Sunday, March 8: Orlando City SC vs. New York City FC (Orlando Citrus Bowl) - 5 PM EST

Key Arrivals

David Villa (Atletico Madrid), Frank Lampard (Manchester City), Mix Diskerud (free transfer), Chris Wingert (Real Salt Lake), Patrick Mullins (New England Revolution - expansion draft)

Player to Watch: David Villa

Now 33 years old, the newly-minted club captain isn't the dynamic striker he once was, but his finishing ability and craftiness inside the penalty area should see him enjoy a fruitful season as an MLS debutant.

He'll likely be asked to play a slightly different role than he's been used to in years gone by, with the absence of Lampard for the first half of the season expected to see Villa drop deeper in order to pick up the ball and make things happen in attack.

Regardless, this is still a man who, despite his advancing age (in football terms) scored 13 goals and added four assists with Atletico Madrid during the 2013-14 campaign. Expect him to do big things in North America.

Keep an eye on: Mix Diskerud

Projected Starting XI

(4-4-2) Josh Saunders; Josh Williams, Andres Mendoza, Jason Hernandez, Chris Wingert; Mehdi Ballouchy, Andrew Jacobsson, Mix Diskerud, Ned Grabavoy; David Villa, Adam Nemec

Note: Lampard not included - will not begin playing with club until July.

Season in a Sentence

Backed by the financial muscle of Manchester City, the club will be able to compete for a playoff spot right from its infancy, with Villa and Lampard - when the latter arrives - leading the way during a successful opening season.

(Courtesy: @mikesbrowns)