New York City FC 3, Vancouver Whitecaps 2 | 2016 MLS Match Recap

Benjamin Baer

New York City FC finally got it done. In their sixth attempt, Patrick Vieira's team collected their first home win of the season, defeating the Vancouver Whitecaps 3-2 on Saturday afternoon.

It was an eventful day in the Bronx, with things getting going just 36 seconds in when Octavio Rivero was able to capitalize on a Josh Saunders blunder. The Uruguayan exited with an injury before David Villa was able to get his 5th and 6th goals of the season, with the second one being an acrobatic finish off an Andrea Pirlo corner.

The Whitecaps got one back after Christian Bolanos was able to finish after Saunders saved his penalty kick, but NYCFC answered just 10 minutes later thanks to a tidy Steven Mendoza finish.

Box Score

1' - VAN - Octavio Rivero (Nicolas Mezquida)
35' - NYC - David Villa (Khiry Shelton)
41' - NYC - David Villa (Andrea Pirlo)
63' - VAN - Christian Bolanos
73' - NYC - Steven Mendoza (Tommy McNamara)
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Three Things

MARAVILLA: New York City FC have struggled to get wins since their inception, but that fact has nothing to do with David Villa. The Spanish legend has been outstanding in his time in MLS, adding two more goals on Saturday. His two finishes against the Whitecaps were classy and he showed why he has always been considered a special talent.
HOME STRUGGLES END: It's been a rough start for Villa and Co. They did not win any of their first five games at home but that streak ended with the win on Saturday. They had previously dropped four points from leading positions at Yankee Stadium.
TOUGH TRIP: The Whitecaps played midweek at BC Place, earning a draw vs. Sporting Kansas City. They then had to fly cross continent to face NYCFC on Saturday. They rotated some players into the starting lineup, including Jordan Smith at right back and Sam Adekugbe at left back, and they were unable to overcome those obstacles.