Archives 📝 | Andrea Pirlo moved to NYCFC in the summer of 2015 following Juventus’ tough defeat in the Champions League Final against Barcelona. The World Cup winner arrived in New York with high expectations, especially since he would be joining David Villa and Frank Lampard. Unfortunately, NYCFC failed to qualify into the MLS Cup playoffs in his first season at the club. The three Champions League winners faced criticism from pundits and fans alike for what was considered to be a gross underachievement. Despite missing out on the postseason, though, Pirlo became the first MLS player ever to be nominated for the FIFPro World XI. Pirlo’s nomination was mostly due to his outstanding first half of the year with Juventus, and this piece of trivia sort of encapsulates Pirlo’s time at NYCFC. Even though at times Pirlo managed to put on great performances, he never managed to be an MLS standout. Nevertheless, his decorated trajectory in Europe and on the world stage have made him one of the...