Fresh off a historic first victory against the Red Bulls Sunday at Yankee Stadium, first-place New York City FC hits the road to take on the New England Revolution Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at Gillette Stadium. (FOX Sports Go | WFAN | WQBU | International)
NYCFC (7-5-6) has won three games in a row, matching a franchise record, and is one point ahead of the Philadelphia Union in the Eastern Conference standings. NYCFC has the best away form in MLS with a 4-2-1 road record.
Jack Harrison scored a goal and set up David Villa for his MLS-leading 12th goal of the season in a 2-0 victory over the New York Red Bulls, the Club’s first in the New York Derby.
“There was big expectation and pressure on their shoulders. And they way they responded today, they really made me proud,” NYCFC coach Patrick Vieira said after the match. “That’s why this is a special group of players that I’m really pleased to be working with. Today, they gave their answer to [the media] and to everybody that we are strong, we are determined and there’s a really good spirit in this football club.”
Kei Kamara scored a brace for New England (4-6-7), but Michael Salazar replied with his first two MLS goals and Ignacio Piatti scored the winner from the penalty spot as the Montreal Impact rallied for a 3-2 win at Stade Saputo Saturday.
It was the Revs second consecutive loss after back-to-back wins.
Kamara has scored three goals in the Revs last two games in all competitions, also finding the back of the net in a come-from-behind victory against the New York Cosmos in the fifth round of the U.S. Open Cup last Wednesday.
This is the second of three meetings this year after the sides played to a 1-1 draw at Yankee Stadium March 26. Tommy McNamara put NYCFC ahead on 10 minutes, heading in the rebound of a David Villa shot off the crossbar, but Chris Tierney leveled for the Revs in the 38th minute.
New England played almost the entire second half with 10 men after Gershon Koffie was shown a straight red card for a studs on tackle against McNamara.
This is the fifth all-time meeting between the Eastern Conference rivals with NYCFC winning the first game, which was also the Club’s first-ever home game, 2-0, on March 15, 2015.
Villa scored a goal and set up a late Patrick Mullins insurance strike to send the 43,057 at Yankee Stadium home happy.
NYCFC dropped a 1-0 decision at Gillette Stadium on July 18, 2015 and fell, 3-1, at Yankee Stadium on the final day of the regular season. Villa scored from the spot in the first minute of second-half stoppage time for NYCFC, his 18th of the season.
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