Today, our Spotlight turns to a defender who had himself a day at Red Bull Arena on Saturday.
Floridian defender Ben Sweat was the unlikely hero of the day, playing a decisive role in both goals in the 2-0 Hudson River Derby win for NYCFC.
Making his ninth MLS appearance, Ben created the first goal after he was found by Rodney Wallace on the overlap, turning the ball into Jack Harrison’s path for the AT&T Goal of the Week nominated opener.
He wasn’t finished there, settling the game with another crucial contribution…
Key Moment
Whether he was attempting to loop the ball over Luis Robles into the far corner with header or just trying to put Alex Ring’s free-kick back into a dangerous area, only Ben will know… and frankly, who cares?
Sweat peeled off to the back post where he was left unmarked and he produced the moment which secured NYCFC’s first-ever win in New Jersey in the 66th minute.
Not a bad time to score your first MLS career goal…
READ: Five Things we learned from NYCFC’s 2-0 win over Red Bulls
In Ben’s Words
“It was just our standard set piece – they didn’t mark me at the back post and sure enough Ring put a perfect ball in and I got my head to it. It was amazing for it to go in and to put that second goal in to close off the game like that.”
In Patrick’s Words
“When you look at Ben and the way he’s been playing the last few weeks and months, he’s been really good. What was really pleasant today was that I saw a team competing at a really high level. We showed character and quality.”
The Fans Said
In Numbers
