New York Red Bulls midfielder Juninho has revealed he is impressed with his new team-mates but believes there is work to be done.
The 38-year-old moved to the MLS outfit in December following a second stint in his homeland with Vasco da Gama.
Juninho played the full 90 minutes in the Red Bulls’ season-opening draw with the Portland Timbers, but missed out on their recent loss to the San Jose Earthquakes due to calf injury.
He said: “Both games were good. The team was a lot better in the first halves but we dropped the tempo in the second halves.
“It could be that we obviously had logistical problems about trying to leave on Fridays and not being able to and having go on Saturdays, so that could have had an impact.
“But I still think the team is still preparing to be at its best physical state. We have a lot of technical players but we might be missing a little bit of speed on the wings.
“It feels like we have a great group and a great team and it’s a long season. Personally, I’m happy to be here and feel good about the group.”
The former Lyon man returned to training on Wednesday and is expected to feature in Saturday’s clash with New York’s biggest rivals D.C. United.
Mike Petke, head coach, said: “The thing that we have to look at is if we’re not 100 percent sure that he’s ready for 90 minutes, I’m not sure it’s a situation I want to start him in.
“Perhaps he could be a better option coming off the bench. But nothing has been decided yet. Where he’s going to fit in is something that will be determined in the next 24 hours.”
Source: MLS Soccer
