Villa’s brace is not enough for NYCFC
Red Bulls lose to Rapids in the snow
COLUMBUS, Ohio — David Villa scored twice, but Justin Meram had a goal and two assists and defending Eastern Conference champion Columbus held off New York City FC, 3-2, on Saturday night for its first victory of the season.
Meram’s second goal of the season came when he drove home a centering pass from Ethan Finlay in the 80th minute.
Meram had helpers on Finlay’s first goal in the seventh minute and Kei Kamara’s second in the 49th minute that gave the Crew (13-2) a 2-1 lead. Kamara had seven shots, but only the last one was on goal. Columbus had 15 shots, but only three on target.
Villa tied it for New York in the 18th minute when he headed a high cross from Andoni Iroala and added his fourth of the season on a penalty kick in the 87th minute.
NYC (1-2-3) upped the pressure at the end, but had its winless streak stretch to five games when Steve Clark made a point-blank save on Patrick Mullins in stoppage time. NYCFC hasn’t won since winning its opener at Chicago.
Dominique Badji scored his first goal of the season in the 82nd minute to help the Colorado Rapids beat the visiting Red Bulls on a snow-covered field.
Jermaine Jones won the ball in the New York end and Luis Solignac fed Badji, who rolled the ball across goalkeeper Luis Robles just inside the right post. The start was delayed and halftime was extended to plow the field. Stoppage time was increased to six minutes so the lines could be shoveled and an orange ball was used.
Ronand Zubar knocked in a header in the 60th minute to end the Red Bulls’ scoreless streak of more than 4½ matches. Zubar’s first goal, on a cross from Sacha Kljestan, was the first goal for the Red Bulls (1-6-0) on the road this season and the first at home allowed by the Rapids (4-2-1).
New York had been shut out in four straight games and five times this season.
The Red Bulls hadn’t scored since a 4-3 victory over Houston in their third game on March 19, getting the final goal in the 83rd minute.
Jones scored 21 minutes into his Colorado debut, rolling the ball in after a cross out of traffic from the goal line by Mekeil Williams.
The Cosmos appeared to be on their way to a third straight win to start the season when Indy Eleven’s Eamon Zayed struck twice late to hand visiting New York its first loss in the young NASL season.
Niko Kranjcar converted a penalty in the 51st minute to give the Cosmos (2-0-1) a 1-0 lead that they held until the 90th minute when the Cosmos’ Hunter Freeman fouled Greg Janicki in the penalty area.
Zayed made the penalty for what would presumably be a tie, but he hit home a rebound in the fifth minute of stoppage time to complete the comeback for Indy (1-20). — Staff and wire report