New York City Football Club are back at Citi Field on Saturday night, hosting Philadelphia Union.
The Boys in Blue return to home soil, eager to extend our impressive form on New York turf in 2023.
Ahead of the clash, we Flashback to a hat-trick of home wins against this weekend’s visitors…
Comeback Kings
Talk about late drama…
Two goals in the final ten minutes saw City turn the game on its head when Philly came to town in June 2017.
Fabrice-Jean Picault had handed the away side the lead with 20 minutes to go at Yankee Stadium, but the Boys in Blue rallied to produce a superb late fightback, wrestling back the points with a quickfire double.
It was a true case for the defense as both Maxime Chanot and Alex Callens netted their first NYCFC goals – the Luxembourg center-back leveling with a clever near-post header, before the Peruvian pounced on a match-winning rebound with five minutes left on the clock.
The triumph saw Patrick Vieira’s side make a welcome return to winning ways, setting up a four-game victorious streak in the Eastern Conference…
Match Highlights: NYCFC 2-1 Philadelphia
Playoff Party
We meet again…
Just three days after locking horns on Decision Day in October 2018, the two sides went head-to-head again in the playoffs… with the same result.
A 3-1 triumph on the final day had secured third spot and home field advantage, and the City Boys made it count in the Knockout Round to book a place in the Eastern Conference Semi-finals.
Ismael Tajouri-Shradi had broken the deadlock with just ten minutes gone, looping home a delightful half-volley from Maxi Moralez’s clipped pass – and the Little Magician produced a mesmerizing display, carving another assist before the break and sealing the win with a glorious chip late on.
Cory Burke netted a second consolation of the week in the final minutes, but NYCFC held on to advance in the post-season tournament for the first time in the Club's history.
HIGHLIGHTS: NYCFC 3-1 Philadelphia
Double Trouble
A six-goal thriller…
June 2019’s regular season match-up yielded plenty more drama with two City penalties, and another excellent late fightback.
Maxi Moralez and Taty Castellanos bagged a brace apiece to claim the points for the Boys in Blue, who twice battled back from a goal down to rally to victory.
Picault had opened the scoring for the Eastern Conference leaders early on before Moralez tied it up from the spot – the first of two successful PKs for the Argentine, after Kacper Przybylko had struck another go-ahead goal for The Union.
Castellanos, who had won both penalties, wrote his name onto the scoresheet with a well-placed first-time finish from outside the box on 71’ to give NYCFC the lead for the first time, and the forward made sure of the triumph seven minutes later, completing a glorious team move with a delightful dink to continue his side’s 13-game unbeaten run.
Highlights | NYCFC 4-2 Philadelphia Union
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