Who else but David Villa for the Spotlight treatment after his first MLS hat-trick?
El Guaje put our cross-river rivals to the sword on Sunday night to secure a first-ever Hudson River Derby series win for the Boys in Blue.
In the process of scoring his three goals which gave NYCFC a 3-2 win, Villa moved to the top of the Golden Boot race as he netted his 15th, 16th and 17th goals of the 2017 campaign.
David opened the scoring on 27’ in this eighth rendition of the derby, breaking through on goal before rounding Luis Robles and sliding home.
Bradley Wright-Phillips responded with a goal on either side of half-time to put Jesse Marsch’s men in the box-seat but then a certain Spanish striker happened on the encounter with two goals in three second half minutes.
His second goal was the pick of the bunch, a stunning slaloming solo run which climaxed with a thunderous drive in at the near post before he won and converted the penalty which gave NYCFC the three points and the local bragging rights.
READ: Five Things We Learned from NYCFC 3-2 Red Bulls
Key Moment
Of course, we could choose any of David’s three goals as his key contribution but let’s focus on another aspect of his game – an underrated factor which he brings to the table.
With the game still in the balance, Villa showed he’s not scared of getting his hands dirty in the defensive areas, making this incredible double block to deny Red Bulls the score.
In a closely fought, end-to-end game, this was a vital interception, saving a certain goal.
In David’s Words…
In Patrick’s Words…
"David is our leader," said Vieira, "When he is playing like that, that lifts the team, and players are behind him the whole way.
"When David is playing well, the team is playing well, and today... he was David.”
His Teammates Said…
What a game tonight!Big 3 points in the #HudsonDerby!Great battle from all the guys and big congrats to @Guaje7Villa on the -trick #NYCFC
— Andre' Rawls (@AndreRawls15) August 7, 2017
The Fans Said…
In Numbers…
