New York City FC stays unbeaten, tops LA Galaxy in home opener

New York City FC picked up right where they left off last season at Yankee Stadium, defeating the LA Galaxy, 2-1, in the Sunday’s home opener.

NYCFC (2-0-0) played efficiently in the first half, scoring two goals on three shots on target.

The Blues had suffered a 3-0 preseason loss to the Galaxy (1-1-0) last month, but they looked for vengeance in front of the NYC faithful. The scoring kicked off just around the midpoint of the first half, thanks to newcomer Anton Tinnerholm. The right back defender ripped a shot just under the crossbar for his first goal of the season in the 22nd minute.

Eleven minutes later, the offense continued through the efforts of captain David Villa, who extended the lead with his first goal of the year. The club recognized Villa before the game ahead of his 100th match for them. The Spaniard also continued his streak of scoring in home openers since NYCFC’s inaugural season (2015).

Los Angeles answered in the second half, with a goal in the 60th minute from midfielder Jonathan dos Santos. His shot was the second on target against Sean Johnson, who held a clean sheet in the team’s victory against Sporting KC last Sunday.

Coach Patrick Vieira anticipated a positive result ahead of the matchup, and with good reason, since he led the club to a 10-2-5 home record in 2017.

“We’ve been working quite well in the last couple of weeks,” Vieira told NYCFC.com. “I believe there is a lot to come from this team. We need the support from the fans.”

The brisk weather failed to keep fans away, as 26,221 supporters filled in the seats during the victory.

NYCFC returns to the home pitch Saturday to face Orlando SC.