NYCFC ‘can’t afford to drop any points’

Sitting in eighth place with just four games to play — two spots out of the f inal playoff berth — New York City FC’s postseason hopes may rely on running the table.

And that starts Saturday at Vancouver, the league’s winningest team.

“We can’t afford to drop any points,” NYCFC defender Shay Facey said. “We need to come away with all three [points] out of the last four of our games.”

Expansion NYCFC has its work cut out, at BC Place against the Western Conference leaders (10 p.m., YES, WQBU92.7 FM). Vancouver is tied for the MLS lead in points (48) and leads the league in victories (15), but NYCFC, sitting f ive points behind Montreal for the sixth and f inal playoff spot, needs every possible point.

“They don’t get any bigger,’’ coach Jason Kreis said. “We know we go there with the attitude that we need three points.”

NYCFC is coming off consecutive victories over Toronto FC and the San Jose Earthquakes, behind captain David Villa and his teamhigh 16 goals.

But until disappointing Designated Players Frank Lampard and Andrea Pirlo start playing up to their reputations, NYCFC will need the defense to keep improving, especially against a Vancouver team that just had its fourgame home winning streak snapped by rival Seattle and could come into BC Place both in a foul mood and motivated in its Supporters’ Shield race against the Red Bulls.

“We’re just going there looking for three points, that’s it,” NYCFC midfielder Andrew Jacobson said. “Whatever we’ve got to do to get the win, that’s what we’re going to do.”