NYCFC vs Orlando City, 2-2
Frederic Brillant scored his first career M.L.S. goal in the 42nd minute, and David Villa chipped in from the center of the box to give New York City a 2-0 lead in the 66th minute, in front of in front of 25,039 fans Sunday afternoon at Yankee Stadium.
Brillant scored his first goal to send NYCFC into the break with a 1-0 lead. RJ Allen latched onto a deep Andrea Pirlo corner and played a terrific ball back towards the far post where Brillant leapt up and headed it home.
Villa doubled NYCFC’s lead in the 66th minute when he took a ball from Pirlo off his chest and then lobbed it past Orlando City goalkeeper Joe Bendik from 17 yards for his league-leading ninth goal of the season. Four minutes later Villa had a chance for a brace from the penalty spot after referee Jorge Gonzalez ruled Lions defender Seb Hines handled inside the box. But Villa failed to convert a penalty kick for just the second time in 11 tries.
Julio Baptista, off a feed from Molino, rolled a right-footed kick past City – goalkeeper Josh Saunders into the bottom-left corner, also Baptista’s was his first M.L.S. goal, which is put Orlando City (3-3-7) within striking distance about six minutes later.
Molino put away a header from the center of the box in the 94th minute to extend Orlando City’s unbeaten streak to three games. Carlos Rivas fired a cross to the far post that Cyle Larin centered to set up Molino’s sixth goal of the season.
Everybody talks about embarrasing miss penalty of the Spanish striker David Villa’s prompted a superb fightback from Orlando in their 2-2 draw at NYCFC. Villa had scored a superb lob moments before from Andrea Pirlo’s fine through ball, but the 34-year-old slipped as he stepped up to make it 3-0.
Villa, however, did not want to blame the pitch for the error, despite recent concern over the turf at the Yankee Stadium. “We have at home this pitch and we have to improve,” Villa said. “It’s the same when we play away.”
Orlando City pulled within a goal in the 72nd minute when Julio Baptista received a ball from Molino and put a low deflected shot inside the near post.
Molino netted the late equalizer when he received a headed ball from Cyle Larin and put a side volley into the net. Allen also nearly set up Villa in the 28th minute with a sublime through ball behind the Orlando City defense. Villa raced in on goal, but fired it wide from 16 yards with his left on his second touch.
Josh Saunders was tested early, but came up with a spectacular save to rob Larin in the seventh minute. Adrian Winter crossed to the Canadian forward and Larin put his downward header on frame. But Saunders leapt and pushed the attempt wide for a corner kick.
Patrick, spoken at the press conference with big disappointing to give up the last goal at the end of the game… “Of course we are disappointed because when you look at the game, the way we started, the situation of the game we played, just taking one point from that game is unbelievable. We had a situation where we should have killed the game, scored that third goal and the game would be finished, and we didn’t do it. We gave them the chance to get back in the game and to concede the goal and the win, that is really disappointing.”
New York City have won only once in eight home games this season and were throttled 7-0 by derby rivals the Red Bulls last week. So far City (4-4-6) is winless in its past two matches after having gone unbeaten in its previous five.
The next home game is Thursday, June 2nd. vs. RSL at Yankee Stadium, 7p.m.
