Patrick Vieira's squad is feeling confident after their latest victory, a 2-1 thriller against Chicago that saw City fight with only 10 men for over 80 minutes at Yankee Stadium.
The gaffer is thrilled with how his team came together and willed themselves through some serious adversity, but he knows they'll need to fight just as hard to get a result in Toronto.
"When you look at the last game," the gaffer told NYCFC.com, "you see that the spirit is really good, and that is the kind of spirit we need to go to Toronto and try to get a result."
Vieira has focused on mentality, consistency, and concentration in many a press conference this year, praising the team when they display it and emphasizing its importance when he believes they could have done a better job.
With a chance to jump into the Supporters' Shield lead on the line heading into this weekend, it's no secret what the key will be for Patrick's side as they face a deep, talented Toronto side. Already full of dangerous players, Toronto could be bolstered by the return of two Designated Players, Michael Bradley and Jozy Altidore, from international duty.
"I strongly believe that Toronto has one of the best rosters, if not the best, in the league," noted Vieira. "So it doesn't matter who is going to be on the field. I think the level and the quality is not going to go down. It is going to be a tough game for us with or without their DPs."
Last time out, Toronto proved they still have the talent to compete for silverware even without some of their most important players. Altidore and Bradley were away with the U.S. National Team when Toronto visited Yankee Stadium less than two weeks ago, and they lost Giovinco to an injury early in the match. Still, they were able to snatch a point from NYCFC on a 90th minute equalizer from Victor Vazquez.
In order to avoid another letdown against a quality team, Patrick knows it's going to take more than talent. It's going to take the same kind of guts his side showed against Chicago.
Down a man, in the mid-July heat of New York City, and against a team that hadn't lost a league match since April, NYCFC proved they could still get it done.
Undoubtedly, that was a special performance. However, if this incarnation of City want to be the first to bring home silverware, it has to be one they build on for the rest of the season. It can't be a one-off. That result may very well have been a turning point for a squad on their way to greatness, but only if they show up with the same focus and fire from here on out.
While it's tempting to look ahead and what might be coming down the line, the only way to achieve anything in this league is by taking it one game at a time.
The manager summed it up like this: "The spirit, and the commitment, and the hard work from the players were fantastic against Chicago, so it will be really important for us to try to keep that spirit, that momentum because that will help us to try to get the result that we want in Toronto."
