David Villa was honored for his 400th career goal just before New York City FC kicked off against the Colorado Rapids, then continued to do what he does best as his two goals helped NYCFC snap a two-game winless skid in a comfortable 4-0 win.
Villa opened the scoring in the 22nd minute after a giveaway from Tim Howard allowed Yangel Herrera to find Maxi Moralez, who put the Spaniard through for a simple finish.
Ronald Matarrita made it two for the home team just minutes into the second half, looping a header over Howard and into the back of the net after the veteran 'keeper saved the initial shot from Jo Inge Berget.
The home side continued to pile on as the second half continued. In the 56th minute, Villa was fouled as he cut across the middle of the field, but the referee played advantage as the ball fell to Moralez, allowing the Argentine to slot his effort past a frozen Howard. Villa would go on to grab his second of the game in the 74th, taking a through ball from Rodney Wallace and curling it into the far corner after another Rapids defensive breakdown.
Goals
- 22' – NYC – David Villa | Watch
- 49' – NYC – Ronald Matarrita | Watch
- 56' – NYC – Maximiliano Moralez | Watch
- 74' – NYC – David Villa | Watch
Three Things
- THE BIG PICTURE: NYCFC grabbed a confidence-boosting win after picking up just one point from their last two games, including a 4-0 derby drubbing at the hands of the Red Bulls to start the month. They also moved past Columbus for second place in the East, at least for the time being. The Rapids, on the other hand, remain anchored to the bottom of the Western Conference standings along with Seattle.
- MOMENT OF THE MATCH: NYCFC's first goal – the giveaway from Howard, a perfect pass from Moralez and a cool finish from Villa – not only set the tone for this one, but epitomized the two teams' contrasting fortunes throughout the 90 minutes.
- MAN OF THE MATCH: There were plenty of worthy candidates from the home side, but today was David Villa's day. After being honored for the many hundreds of goals he's scored throughout his career, NYCFC's talisman added another two to his tally and an assist for good measure. Moralez was another standout for NYCFC with a goal and two assists, while Alex Ring put in a typically solid shift as he dropped back into Patrick Vieria's three-man backline.
Next Up
- NYC: Friday, May 25 at Houston Dynamo (8:55 pm ET | UniMás, Twitter - Full TV & streaming info)
- COL: Saturday, May 26 vs. Portland Timbers (9 pm ET | Full TV & streaming info)
