NYCFC 4-1 D.C. United - Match Recap

Head Coach Ronny Deila made two changes to his lineup for this latest showdown with D.C., bringing Gary Mackay-Steven and Ismael Tajouri-Shradi in for Jesus Medina and Alexandru Mitrița.

In the hunt for three successive wins following a dramatic 3-2 road win in Miami on Saturday night, NYCFC were making their first appearance at Yankee Stadium in more than a year against a team they met only recently in the nation’s capital.

On that occasion, City had been left frustrated after a wholly dominant but fruitless night at Audi Field, coming out with just one point from a game in which they faced no shots for the first time in club history.

This time, City had no such issues breaking through, with Taty Castellanos earning and scoring a penalty inside four minutes after he was barged in the back before he slotted past Bill Hamid from 12 yards for the 1-0 lead.

In control and dominating against a D.C. side once again looking content to invite pressure, a goal was scored against the run of play on 12’, when Castellanos was on the wrong side of another penalty kick call, this time being adjudged to have handled in the area.

Ola Kamara assumed responsibility for the spot kick and beat Sean Johnson to draw the road team back level and pave the way for an attritional first half of play which was reminiscent of the last meeting, with NYC beating at the door without reward.

Playing in the no.10 role, Alex Ring saw a couple of strong efforts go close, while Ismael Tajouri-Shradi looked dangerous every time he picked up the ball on the right, backed by the Etihad Player of the Month Anton Tinnerholm, but Deila’s men could not find a way through before the interval.

That changed in the second half, as NYCFC stepped up the intensity and immediately set about taking the lead, eventually putting their noses back in front when a third penalty was awarded after another handball call on 55'. 

Tajouri-Shradi stepped up to convert the PK and the Libyan international was also responsible for the goal which gave NYCFC a two-goal advantage on 63’.

This one was from open play, conjured up by Tinnerholm who provided the cross from the right for Isi to stroke home a goal which gave him his fifth two-goal game for the Boys in Blue.

3-1 up with half an hour to go, there was some D.C. pressure to endure in the closing stages as the visitors pressed for a second goal, but it was Deila’s men who got the game's fifth goal through the excellent Keaton Parks who headed in a brilliant cross from substitute Gudi Thórarinsson to make it a convincing victory for the home team.