Whether fired New York City FC coach Jason Kreis was overmatched in handling stars, or scapegoated with a mismatched roster, the end result is the same. He lasted just one disappointing debut season, and now Patrick Vieira will try to succeed where Kreis failed.
It won’t be easy. Last year NYCFC looked like an old, slow team in disarray, finishing tied for the second-fewest points in MLS. But they are clinging to the hope stars Andrea Pirlo and Frank Lampard actually having a training camp will help this season, which kicks off Sunday in Chicago (2 p.m., YES).