NYCFC, Second Half Improvement

By their own admission, NYCFC were some way off their best form in the first half and were forced to soak up plenty of pressure, with Sean Johnson being required on several occasions to make big stops.

Columbus had the wave of momentum behind them and when they took the lead off a contentious penalty, lesser teams could have crumbled.

Not NYC though. After the interval, it was a different team and City were in the ascendancy, equalizing through Héber after a sweeping counter-attack and an emphatic finish.

When Columbus scored immediately after to go 2-1 up, again you might’ve expected it to be over, but the Boys in Blue never quit, going close through Mitriță and Tajouri-Shradi before Castellanos walloped in his unforgettable third goal for NYC.