New York City FC picked up consecutive wins, thanks to a 3-1 victory over the Chicago Fire on Saturday night.
Here's Five Points from an entertaining night's play, presented by Etihad...
Moving On Up
It's almost been a calendar year since NYCFC last won back-to-back MLS regular season matches.
That says more about an unprecedented 2020 and the unconventional schedule than a long term problem, but it definitely still felt good to follow up our 1-0 win over the Eastern Conference leaders Columbus Crew with a more emphatic victory last night.
Keaton Parks gave City the advantage their dominant opening deserved before Mauricio Pineda scored off a corner to level it up on the stroke of halftime, setting the table for the excellent performance we saw after the break when NYCFC scored two unanswered goals.
That gave Ronny Deila six points in five days and moved the Boys in Blue up to ninth place in the standings, within a point of New England on the other side of the Playoffs line, with the Revolution next up on Wednesday night...
Second Half Show
On Monday night, NYCFC got it done thanks to a stirring 15 minute spell right after halftime. This time, City came out flying for the second 45' again, but kept it up until the final whistle to get the three points.
The introduction of Maxi Moralez played a big part in that - and more on that later - but the whole team was on point in a way that left Chicago no answer. For Tinnerholm, it was up there with the best football this team has played in 2020.
Tinnerholm told reporters: "Today we showed a really good performance. I think with the Toronto game and the second half of this game, that is the best we've played this season."
TinnerBOOM
Speaking of Tinnerholm, the Swedish defender was a near-unanimous choice for Heineken Man of the Match after a dominant display down the right flank.
It wasn't just Anton's goal which caught the eye, a composed drilled finish into the far corner, but the way in which Tinnerholm gave full coverage of one whole side of the pitch, provided excellent deliveries (including an assist for Ring's final goal) and was generally a nuisance to Chicago Fire for the full 90'.
For Anton, these two wins were a case of providing a response to critics in the difficult and fractured start to the season. Anton added: "In the end, we can talk all we want. We had to show it on the pitch."
A Timely Interception
A quick shoutout is also due to Alexander Callens for the incredible goalline clearance on 73', just before NYCFC's game-clinching third goal was scored.
Alex read the play and provide the coverage after Sean Johnson had been rounded by Elliott Collier, preventing a certain goal at a crucial moment in the match.
Two minutes later, Ring made it count with the third goal but it could've been very different if not for the inspired interception from our Peruvian Iron Man.
Maxi Back
You can't talk about this win without mentioning the role of Maxi Moralez, who marked his return from injury in some style.
Entering as a second half substitute, the Argentine playmaker took approximately two minutes to find his passing range and to shake off any rustiness, before he showed the NYC faithful exactly what we've been missing through his layoff.
The little magician was popping up in pockets of space across the pitch, knitting City moves together and creating space for his teammates. Headlining an influential 45 minute cameo, Maxi recorded his 50th MLS assist for Tinnerholm's goal - a typically immaculately-judged pass which gave Anton the shooting opportunity.
With Maxi back and on song, there's no good reason to believe this form will come to an end soon.
