The chant began in the 23rd minute: “We want Pirlo! We want Pirlo!”
New York City F.C. was leading, 1-0, in its second game against the Red Bulls, and Pirlo, a World Cup-winning Italian midfielder who seems to excel wherever he goes, had just appeared on the Jumbotron overlooking the field, watching the game with Frank Lampard.
Pirlo, the fans probably knew, is set to become N.Y.C.F.C.’s latest high-profile acquisition, following the paths of Lampard and David Villa, and the light-blue contingent of fans welcomed him, loudly.
But as the Red Bulls scored three second-half goals to win, 3-1, in front of an announced crowd of 48,047 on Sunday at Yankee Stadium, it was tough to imagine, even for the most avid N.