Draw Crew but secure 2nd seed
DAVID Villa scored two goals and New York City FC tied the Columbus Crew, 2-2, on Sunday in the first regular-season match at Citi Field to secure the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
The new venue was selected for the regular-season finale because of a conflict with the Yankees’ playoff run.
Ola Kamara gave the Crew a 1-0 lead in the 11th minute, but Villa tied it with a header off a corner kick by Maximiliano Moralez in the 18th and then blasted a right-footer from the top corner of the box that deflected off a diving Zack Steffen and gave NYCFC (16-9-9) a 2-1 lead just before halftime.
Josh Williams, who had a brief stint with New York City in 2015, headed home a corner kick by Federico Higuain in the 58th minute to cap the scoring. Williams, a defender, has scored all three of his goals this season in the last four games.
Villa finished the regular season with 22 goals — his second consecutive 20-goal season — and has 61 goals in three MLS seasons.
Columbus (16-12-6), which could have finished as high as No. 2 in the Eastern Conference, will be the fifth seed and face No. 4 Atlanta in the Knockout Round.
New York City earned a bye into the conference semifinals, which begin Oct. 30.
BULLS STAY UNITED
Gonzalo Veron and Michael Murillo scored minutes apart and the Red Bulls beat rival D.C. United, 2-1, for the Atlantic Cup in the final MLS game at RFK Stadium.
United is set to play home games next season at the new Audi Field, located three miles southwest of RFK.
The Red Bulls (14-12-8), who last won at RFK in 2013, will be the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs and play at third-seeded Chicago in the Knockout round.
Veron tapped a slow roller into an open net in the 75th minute to cap the scoring. Vincent Bezecourt back-heeled it to Alex Muyl, who fed a low cross to Veron for the finish — past a diving Steve Clark — from the top of the 6-yard box.
Paul Arriola ripped a volley, off an arcing cross from Luciano Acosta, for his first MLS goal to give United (9-20-5) a 1-0 lead just before halftime. Murillo tied it in the 68th, tapping it back-and-forth twice with Muhamed Keita before chipping a volley over Clark into the net. Arriola, a 22-yearold, signed with D.C. on Aug. 10.
U.S. WOMEN DOMINATE
Sam Mewis scored a pair of goals in the first half and the United States went on to beat South Korea, 6-0, in an exhibition match Sunday.
Christen Press and Julie Ertz also scored as the national team built a 4-0 first-half lead. Lynn Williams and Allie Long added goals in the second half.
Mewis, who plays for the National Women’s Soccer League’s North Carolina Courage, was playing in front of the home fans at Sahlen’s Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park. in Cary, N.C. Announced attenThe