New York City Football Club are back on home soil this weekend.
The Boys in Blue welcome Atlanta United to Yankee Stadium in a 7:30pm ET kick-off, looking to make it three from three on home soil.
Ahead of the game, we Flashback to three memorable Five Stripes visits…
Hat-Trick Hero
An unforgettable night for Alexandru Mitriță… The Romanian netted a sensational 20-minute first-half hat-trick in September 2019, inspiring the hosts to an impressive 4-1 triumph.
It was Fan Appreciation Night in the Bronx, and the City faithful were treated to a real show, as the home side thrashed the reigning MLS Cup Champions with a ruthless display.
The clash saw the Eastern Conference’s top two lock horns with sights set on top spot, and Concacaf Champions League qualification.
Riding the crest of an eight-game unbeaten streak, NYCFC were full of confidence, and Mitriță was on fire, opening the scoring with an unstoppable effort before the quarter-hour, then doubling his tally by drilling in off the post, and completing his treble with a tap-in on the rebound – all inside the opening 34 minutes.
A 3-0 half-time lead could have been four, but for Maxi Moralez’s missed penalty, though it did little to dampen spirits with City running riot.
Atlanta reduced the deficit early in the second half with a penalty of their own as Pity Martínez converted from the spot, but Héber restored our three-goal cushion late on, rounding Brad Guzan and slotting home to cap a superb win, closing out NYCFC’s regular season home campaign in emphatic fashion.
Young Stars
The first of three meetings in 2021, June’s fixture proved a hard-fought win for the Boys in Blue, settled by a solitary goal.
On a night in which Ronny Deila fielded the Club’s youngest-ever starting XI, Ismael Tajouri-Shradi netted the decisive strike, while Tayvon Gray received his first MLS start.
Both sides had chances to break the deadlock, while Keaton Parks saw claims for a penalty waved away, but City would find the net on 69 minutes.
Collecting Taty Castellanos’ clever through-ball after Parks had intercepted a loose pass, Tajouri-Shradi coolly slid home for his fourth goal in as many games.
The hosts held on for the points: a triumph that lifted NYCFC into fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings.
Playoff Party
A third meeting in 2021… and the most important by far. A month after City had reignited our playoff push with Gudmundur Thórarinsson’s crucial injury-time leveler in Georgia, the two sides were pitted against each other in Round One of the MLS Playoffs.
Facing the 2018 MLS Cup winners, City were looking to make home advantage count to secure a place in the Eastern Conference Semi-finals.
A cagey first-half saw the two teams head into the break level, though Santiago Rodríguez had seen a goal ruled out for offside, but NYCFC struck just four minutes after the restart to put one foot into the last eight.
MLS Golden Boot winner Castellanos opened the scoring, as his volley bounced curiously into the far corner, before Alex Callens doubled the advantage just four minutes later, nodding home on the rebound after Guzan had tipped Moralez’s effort onto the crossbar.
Injury-time drama saw Alan Franco dismissed for the visitors for a second yellow card, as the Five Stripes chased a route back into the contest, but it would not sour a special evening for City.
The triumph marked the first step to trophy success for the Boys in Blue, who would go on to defeat New England Revolution, Philadelphia Union and Portland Timbers in the most dramatic of circumstances to lift the trophy for the first time.
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