NEW YORK — Saturday's match between New York City FC and the LA Galaxy was billed as a showcase of superstars, but it carried more meaning to a NYCFC team that is looking more and more like a legitimate title contender with each passing week.

Saturday's match gave NYCFC a chance to show just how seriously we should be taking the second-year team, and its 1-0 victory against the highly-regarded LA Galaxy provided the latest evidence that we need to start taking NYCFC seriously in the MLS Cup conversation.

Saturday's match wasn't a rout, but it was the kind of business-like performance against a good team that shows the poise and maturity of an NYCFC team that has grown so much in recent months.

"It was a very important game," said NYCFC assistant coach Christian Lattanzio, who coached Saturday's match in place of suspended head coach Patrick Vieira. "We have a great respect for the Galaxy, for the players they have, the coach and the staff. So, for us, this is a very important win, very important game. We believe in our work, we think we can play against anyone."

Once again, it was the club's big names who led the way. From David Villa's opening goal, to the grunt work done in midfield by Frank Lampard and the beautiful distribution of Andrea Pirlo. All three have been healthy and in form, a key reason why their team is standing atop the Eastern Conference standings.

"When you have the quality of Villa, Pirlo and Lampard, that's a terrific starting point," Galaxy coach Bruce Arena said. "Those guys are great players. I thought Pirlo was outstanding today, and obviously Villa was good. Those are quality players. Their backline did a good job, and they had a good day."

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Saturday's win marked NYCFC's fourth straight at home, with all four wins coming against teams with winning records. That stretch is a far cry from the early months of the season, when NYCFC simply couldn't get going at Yankee Stadium, managing just one win in its first nine home matches before the Copa America break in June.

"With a new head coach it takes a little bit of time for the boys to understand, for all of us to know each other," Lattanzio said. "We also thought that we were unlucky on several occasions where we throw away points that we thought we deserved. That can create, psychologically, some uneasiness, but give credit to the boys. They stick with the way our coach wanted to keep playing, and I think now they are really getting what they deserve.

"I don't think it's by chance but the boys are playing with more confidence," Lattanzio said. "They are more familiar with each other, with our style of play."

NYCFC is playing with more confidence, but is also playing with a much more established group than the one Vieira used earlier in the season. Having a healthy Lampard and Jack Harrison have rejuvenated the midfield, and so has the inclusion of Andoni Iraola in a defensive midfield role. Central defender Jefferson Mena has provided a sorely-needed anchor in the middle of the NYCFC defense, and he showed that again on Saturday, helping neutralizing the ever-dangerous Robbie Keane.

So is NYCFC a serious title contender? In a year when there is no clearcut favorite, NYCFC has as good a chance as anybody. You need a productive goalscorer, and NYCFC has the league's co-scoring leader in David Villa. You need a balanced and dangerous midfield, which NYCFC has now. You need a stable defense, which is the one area NYCFC has been working on.

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