By themselves, City's Designated Players are intimidating. Together they're like a hydra.
When lineups for Wednesday night's match between the New England Revolution and New York City FC were released, the away side's setup raised an eyebrow or two. Their three Designated Players – David Villa, Frank Lampard and Andrea Pirlo – were all starting on Gillette Stadium's newly-minted turf field.
While the final scoreline was only 1-0 in favor of NYCFC, their collective mettle was on display throughout, often pinging just the right pass to keep possession flowing.