Crooks: NYCFC Is Better Off Without Xavi Hernandez

By Glenn Crooks
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After Wednesday's training session at Yankee Stadium -- with no apparent turf reverberations from Tampa -- New York City FC head coach Jason Kreis startled a gathering of reporters when he suggested that his third and final designated player signing might not be the 5-foot-6 inch midfield maestro from Spain.

"When you think about a player like Xavi Hernandez, for me (he's) one of the best players in the world ever," started Kreis. "On one side you sit there and say there's no doubt that a player like that would be great in New York City.  But when you look at it from another point of view, you only get three of these (designated player slots). And we've already got another one that plays in the midfield (Frank Lampard) and we've got David Villa, whose relative ages are getting up there.  You start to think, maybe not."

Apparently, Kreis will no longer have to labor with that decision. Less than 24 hours after those midweek comments, reports began circulating out of Spain that Xavi will soon sign with a club team in Qatar. They were confirmed Thursday by ESPN FC.

In early March, a signature on an NYCFC contract appeared imminent.  It was a New York-based sports agent, Ron Waxman, whose tweet claimed a clear partnership between the 35-year-old and New York City.

At the time, NYCFC sporting director Claudio Reyna did not extinguish the possibility.

"We are very interested in adding franchise players like Xavi," admitted Reyna, speaking to Catalan station TV3 in early March. "For sure we will need to bring in a third franchise player in the summer."

"I would say that I'm really split, on the fence," Kreis said on Wednesday in regard to adding a player who has been in the Barcelona system since his 11th birthday. "I'm a huge fan of Xavi and he would be a huge player in this league, huge for New York City, huge for this club. But positionally, I don't know if it makes the best sense."

While speculation is all but moot, let's examine the predicament Kreis would have faced and the merit of his concerns. After all, how could you turn away perhaps the preeminent playmaker in the history of the game? He's a three-time FIFA Player of the Year finalist who has La Liga and Champions League titles with Barcelona and a World Cup championship with Spain.

By the time Xavi arrived, there would be only a dozen matches remaining on the regular-season schedule.  If NYCFC was laboring for a playoff berth, adding a member of the Barca "passing carousel" -- as termed by Sir Alex Ferguson -- could have been quite a boost to the squad.  However, what happens if Kreis has his side sitting at or near the top of the Eastern Conference table two-thirds of the way through the regular season? A large part of Kreis' system and philosophy is based on the connection of each line, and facilitating that chemistry can only be established over time.  Add two marquis mids (including Lampard) and Kreis would be faced with a quandary -- when and how to utilize them when they appear.

Kreis, Reyna and lead scout David Lee scoured the planet for players that would fit into the shape and tempo that would adhere to their philosophy -- win the ball back, secure possession, strike quickly when it's on, but recognize when it is healthier to keep the ball and try again.

The shape in their vision is 4-4-2 with a diamond in the midfield.  The current team shape through the initial three matches is more of a 4-2-3-1, as Kreis has adjusted based on evaluations in the preseason.  In a February 21 friendly against Orlando City, Kaka ameliorated NYCFC holding mid Andrew Jacobson in the opening half, stimulating Kreis to modify the shape by adding a second holder (Mix Diskerud) after the interval.  The alteration impacted both sides of the ball as Kaka was contained and NYC attacking players found pockets and space that generated numerous opportunities.  Mix has freedom to roam as a sort of #10, but truly, NYCFC lacks a genuine playmaker.  Then Xavi was perfect, right?

Could we have identified a shape that would keep Xavi, Mix and Lampard on the field simultaneously?  In my opinion, no.  I'm certain Kreis had writer's cramp from scratching out different lineups to craft this combination, which ultimately led to his doubt.  What remained abundantly clear with regard to the potential configurations was that NYCFC would be handicapped on the defensive side of the ball.  There is no Busquets here ... no Puyol, no Pique.

Jacobson is a fine player, but the defensive responsibilities that will be required are too much to conquer after the preseason diamond midfield was scrutinized.  How about 4-2-3-1?  This system requires four of the five mids to supply a maximum work rate and sustained running off the ball, especially to attain proper defensive shape and recovery.  Are both Xavi (35) and Lampard (36) prepared to do that sort of mileage?

It would appear that they are mutually suited to the equivalent attacking midfield role while Villa moves to a more natural striker position.  Could Ned Grabovoy, Mix and Jacobson have covered enough ground to make up for the defending deficiencies of two players accustomed to playing one way?

While Xavi would have been a short-term boost for marketing and attendance, he did not suit the needs of the team ON the field -- for the present AND the future.  While goalkeepers tend to flourish into their mid 30s (Tim Howard, Josh Saunders, et al.), the extreme toll on the bodies of field players -- especially at the levels seen by Villa, Lampard and Xavi -- lends itself to a depreciation of effectiveness and greater frequency of injury.

It pains me to say that NYCFC is better off without Xavi. Examining the game over the last 10 years, he became my preferred player to watch in world soccer, a coach's fantasy playmaker with 360-degree vision. From a 2011 interview in The Guardian:

"Think quickly, look for spaces," he said in a 2011 interview with The Guardian. "That's what I do: Look for spaces. All day. I'm always looking. All day, all day. (Xavi starts gesturing as if he is looking around, swinging his head.) Here? No. There? No. Space, space, space."

Throw-Ins

Peter Vermes, the only player in MLS history to win both the MLS Cup as a player and coach with the same team (Kansas City), returns to the metropolitan area with Sporting KC on Saturday.  Vermes is a native of Delran, N.J. He played at Rutgers University and is now in his sixth season as an MLS head coach in KC.

"I already had my 'A' license in 1995 (at the age of 29)," said Vermes, who was selected by the NY/NJ MetroStars in the first MLS draft and played all 10 field positions that year. "I've wanted to be a coach since I was nine or 10 years old.

"I think every player should go and get a C, B or A license while they're still playing. It would make all of them better soccer players."

Vermes earned 67 caps for the U.S. national team and was named U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year and U.S. Olympic Player of the Year in 1988.

Glenn Crooks is the color commentator for New York City FC on WFAN and the former head soccer coach at Rutgers University. You can follow him on Twitter at @GlennCrooks and glenncrooks.sportsblog.com.