The turf at Gillette Stadium gets a lot of negative attention. Many players have complained about the surface while some have flat out refused to play on it. For New York City FC head coach Patrick Vieira, it’s not much of an issue.
When NYCFC took the field on Saturday night, it was a bit surprising to see that Andrea Pirlo, David Villa and Frank Lampard would all be starting. These players, the youngest of which is 34, are some of the league’s most recognizable names and there was chatter that some, if not all, would be rested, especially during this busy stretch.