New York City FC ran out 3-1 winners over Sporting Kansas City at Yankee Stadium on Friday night.
Here’s Five Points, presented by Etihad Airways…
Marching On
Although 10-man Sporting Kansas City briefly ignited hopes of an unlikely comeback in the 72nd minute with a goal that made it 2-1, it would have been a travesty if NYCFC had not come out with all three points.
From start to finish, Dome Torrent’s men were the better side, even if their task was made easier by Roger Espinoza’s second half red card for a rash tackle on Maxime Chanot.
Patience was required before Anton Tinnerholm opened the scoring late in the first half but NYC rarely looked back after Héber finished clinically on the other side of the half-time break.
Illie Sanchez headed in what turned out to be, a consolation goal for the visitors, but Alex Ring would fittingly administer the fatal blow with a Ringleader special from range with eight minutes remaining.
Save for a quiet spell in the first half before Tinnerholm’s goal, this was another impressive performance from the Boys in Blue, who continued their excellent recent form to build on last week’s road win in Colorado.
H9
NYCFC’s no.9 celebrated goal no.9 in City Blue with a typically clinical finish to make it 2-0, breaking an all-time club goalscoring record in the process.
Héber has now scored in five straight MLS games, becoming the first-ever NYCFC player to do so.
The Brazilian has been a revelation since landing in the Big Apple and shows no signs of slowing up anytime soon…
Beautiful Football
There were aesthetically-pleasing aspects of all three goals but there’s no question that the opener was the prettiest of them all.
Building from the back after Tim Melia’s overhit clearance, NYC played through the SKC lines with a lethal passing move which culminated in Tinnerholm finishing off Ring’s precise cross to break the deadlock.
It was a devastating move which perfectly demonstrated the positional system favored by Torrent.
The Ringleader
His name has already come up a few times in this article, which tells you something.
Alex Ring showed the full range of his game in his house on Friday night under the lights, assisting two goals and scoring one of his own to earn the Man of the Match honors.
It was another supreme performance from this team’s captain who was charged with a more offensive role after Maxi Moralez limped out early in the second half.
To say he seized it would be an understatement: Even Maxi would’ve been proud of the clipped through ball which played Héber through for the second goal of the night.
His third goal of the season, and City's third of the night, was the cherry on top.
The Climb
This win took NYCFC into third place in the East, although City have multiple games in hand on the teams above them.
No team in the East has a higher points-per-game ratio than NYCFC, who will now travel to RSL looking to ascend further up the Conference.
And we don’t stop.
