NEW YORK – Obafemi Martins scored two goals and set up another to help lift the Seattle Sounders to a 3-1 win over New York City FC in front of a crowd of 25,384 at Yankee Stadium Sunday night.
Seattle (5-2-1) extended its winning streak to three games, while NYCFC (1-4-3) lost its third in a row and is winless in seven consecutive.
Martins put Seattle in front in the 23rd minute against the run of play for his 31st career MLS goal. Marco Pappa played a perfect through ball to Martins, who split the center of NYCFC’s defense and took two touches before beating goalkeeper Josh Saunders inside the near post from 16 yards.
NYCFC, who dominated possession for much of the first hour, equalized in the 54th minute on Mehdi Ballouchy’s last touch of the ball before being substituted. The Moroccan midfielder took a pass from Patrick Mullins and finished a quick counter attack by curling a left-footed shot past Stefan Frei from the top of the 18-yard box.
It was the first NYCFC goal since Ballouchy scored his first of the season in the 57th minute of a 1-1 draw against the Philadelphia Union on April 16, snapping a 266-minute goalless drought.
Ballouchy celebrated and walked off, replaced by Spanish Designated Player David Villa, who had missed back-to-back games with hip irritation.
Four minutes later, however, the Sounders regained the lead for good as U.S. international Clint Dempsey rolled a shot inside the far post from 16 yards out. Martins and Pappa were credited with assists on Dempsey’s fifth goal of the year.
Seattle put the game beyond doubt in the 66th minute, when Dempsey ended an impressive 18-pass sequence with a clever backheel chip to Martins, who went into another gear as he ran between Chris Wingert and Shay Facey before slotting his shot inside the far post for his sixth goal of the year.
NYCFC finished with 10 men after Kwame Watson-Siriboe was sent off by referee Silviu Petrescu two minutes from full time for his second bookable offense. The red card was NYCFC’s second in as many games, dating back to Andrew Jacobson’s a week ago against Chicago.
On the bright side for New York, veteran Spanish midfielder Pablo Alvarez orchestrated the attack in his first start, creating numerous chances in the first half. Though none of his positivity and incisive passing resulted in a goal, the seeds have been planted for what may soon be on the horizon, as Villa, his former teammate at Sporting Gijon, returns to full-fitness.
NYCFC heads across the Hudson River to take on the New York Red Bulls for the first time next Sunday, while the Sounders remain on the road to take on the Columbus Crew Saturday afternoon.
