Ronny Deila faced a disappointing return to New York as NYCFC achieved a resounding 4-0 victory over Atlanta United in the final MLS match before the mid-season break, held at Yankee Stadium on Thursday night.
Maxi Moralez’s goal right before halftime shifted the momentum in favor of the home side, followed by quick strikes from Mounsef Bakrar and two from Hannes Wolf early in the second half, underpinning NYCFC’s significant win.
This emphatic victory saw Pascal Jansen’s team leap from 10th to 5th place in the competitive Eastern Conference.
Deila, who led NYCFC to their first MLS Cup triumph in 2021, witnessed a strong start from Atlanta, who created the better chances in a tense opening half.
Despite their struggles against Atlanta’s robust back-five, Moralez’s critical goal, conceded due to a defensive mistake from Atlanta, turned the tide heading into halftime.
With Atlanta forced to shift their defensive approach in the second half, NYCFC capitalized on the newfound space, particularly in a dramatic four-minute stretch just shy of the hour mark.
Jansen highlighted the significance of Moralez’s goal, indicating it transformed an even match. He emphasized the need for his players to maintain possession during halftime, notably praising their ability to capitalize on Atlanta’s errors.
This victory marked NYCFC’s largest margin of victory in the season so far and was the first time they scored four goals since Jansen took over in the off-season.
The win also provided a much-needed boost for NYCFC, especially after suffering a disappointing 3-0 defeat against Houston Dynamo in their previous home match last month.
Moralez’s goal came amid a lackluster first half for the hosts, whose defense was tested most notably by a fierce strike that rattled the crossbar.
NYCFC’s inability to breach Atlanta’s solid defense throughout the half was further compounded by a potentially damaging incident early on when goalkeeper Tomas Romero’s collision with Jamal Thiare prompted penalty appeals from Atlanta; however, the referee ruled the challenge legal, as Romero appeared to touch the ball first.
The visitors thought they had taken the lead in the 37th minute through Derrick Williams, who scored from close range after a flick from Thiare, but the goal was correctly disallowed for offside.
Jansen described both the offside call and the penalty incident as pivotal moments in a closely contested match, quipping that Romero had indeed touched the ball before the contact with Thiare.
Despite the tension, the first half seemed destined to finish scoreless until NYCFC struck a shock opening goal just before the break.
Moralez’s tireless pressing led to a critical error by Atlanta wing-back Brooks Lennon, who gave away possession to Hannes Wolf at the edge of the area.
Wolf quickly set up Moralez, who expertly beat Atlanta goalkeeper Brad Guzan at the near post, giving NYCFC a surreal lead heading into halftime.
Following this unexpected advantage, NYCFC re-emerged as a revitalized team, displaying significant energy and tempo that was lacking in the first half.
Bakrar nearly extended the lead in the 54th minute, forcing a fine save from Guzan, but mere moments later, he found the back of the net with a superb strike into the top corner, courtesy of a pass from Andres Perea.
Just minutes later, Hannes Wolf took center stage, scoring two brilliant goals in rapid succession to effectively seal the game for NYCFC.
The first goal came when Wolf received a well-timed pass from Moralez, maneuvered past Lennon, and finished with precision into the bottom corner.
His second goal was a clever chip over the advancing Guzan from a through ball by Justin Haak, showcasing his sharp offensive instincts and putting the result beyond doubt before the hour mark.
With this brace, Wolf, having already scored twice against Atlanta earlier in the season, now has a total of four goals against them this year after also netting two in a tightly contested 4-3 defeat in the earlier meeting and a brace in a 2-2 draw at Nashville last time out.
As the match progressed into the final third, Wolf did not achieve a hat trick, with the game settling into a more subdued phase, as NYCFC seemed pleased to maintain their comfortable lead and close out the 4-0 victory.
With this comprehensive win, NYCFC heads into a 16-day break, looking forward to their next challenge against basement dwellers Montréal on June 28.
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