When David Villa left New York City FC following the 2018 season, the club lost its most accomplished player and the biggest star in its short history.
Villa, a World Cup winner with Spain, scored 80 goals in four seasons for NYCFC and his departure for Vissel Kobe in Japan seemingly left a gaping hole in the team’s attack.
“At first it forces everyone to step up a little bit,” team captain Alex Ring said of the team’s transition to life after Villa. “He was our talisman, everything focused around him, rightfully so, just because of his merits and the way that he performed here in MLS.