New York City FC Goals: Castellanos 25', Jasson 50'
D.C. United Goals: Smith 29'
New York City FC continued their preseason journey with a 2-1 win against D.C. United on Sunday afternoon in Chester, Pennsylvania.
NYCFC fans were treated to a preview of the 2021 MLS season when the two sides met on Easter Sunday, and it was the Boys in Blue that started the game brightest.
Taty Castellanos raced on to a through ball inside five minutes, and after first being denied by goalkeeper Chris Seitz the Argentine flicked it up and attempted an audacious lob that was cleared off the line.
Ronny Deila’s side did a good job of controlling the early exchanges. They were rewarded for that in the 25th minute when Maxi Moralez started a sweeping counter attack by playing Gudi Thórarinsson in on goal.
The 28-year-old then squared it to the onrushing Castellanos, and he calmly slotted it home to give NYCFC the lead.
Unfortunately, that advantage didn’t last long, and D.C United were level when they managed to engineer a counter of their own in the 29th minute - forward Kimarni Smith converting a cross by Edison Flores.
The meeting proved a feisty affair, and just before half-time, both Castellanos and Junior Moreno received red cards following an off-the-ball clash. The referee allowed the teams to remain 11v11 moving into the second period, with Deila making a pair of changes.
Off came Castellanos and Alex Callens in place of Andres Jasson and Nicolas Acevedo in a change that saw James Sands slot in at centre back And it didn’t take long for Jasson to make an impact.
The teenager has been in fine form during preseason and added to that with a goal in the 50th minute, his strike benefitting from a deflection. The two teams battled against the elements on a windy afternoon that saw the wind play havoc with the ball when it was in the air.
Three further changes followed in the 75th minute, with Vuk Latinovich, Gedion Zelalem, and Chris Gloster replacing Sebastien Ibeagha, Keaton Parks, and Thórarinsson. The game ultimately finished 2-1 to NYCFC. Next up for the Boys in Blue is a meeting with Hartford Athletic on April 10, before they face D.C. United again in MLS.
NYCFC XI: Johnson, Gray, Ibeagha (Latinovich), Callens (Acevedo), Thórarinsson (Gloster), Sands, Parks (Zelalem), Tajouri-Shradi, Medina, Moralez, Castellanos (Jasson)
