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NYCFC finding return to form with 6-0 defeat of RSL

New York City FC's Taty Castellanos at Yankee Stadium on March 19, 2022

NEW YORK CITY, NY – NYCFC finding return to form with a big win at Yankee Stadium. Following elimination from Concacaf’s Champions League, NYCFC returned to Yankee Stadium with four goals from 2021 Golden Boot Winner Valentin “Taty” Castellanos to thrash Real Salt Lake 6-0.

NYCFC finding return to form with a 6-0 defeat of RSL

New York takes advantage early with three goals

The very first opportunity of this matchup would come in the ninth minute as Talles Magno laid a pass off just inside the box for Malte Amundsen to break down the wing.

With a flick across the goal, Amundsen would find the head of Thiago Andrade wide open but the shot just pushed away on a good save from Zac MacMath to force a corner. With a quick corner, NYCFC found RSL flat-footed which created space for Taty to fly into the box for a free header and the 1-0 lead.

Just minutes later, the Bronx Blues would find an opportunity on goal with a great ball behind from Magno. Racing past a defender and trying to beat out MacMath to the ball, Thiago Andrade just arrives to meet the pass, and with a touch around MacMath slotted it home for a 2-0 advantage in the 15-minute.

With NYCFC continuing to dominate offensively and pouring on the shots, it would be Keaton Parks earning a penalty kick in 40-minute for a swift kick in the face from Tate Schmitt while attempting to head in a rebound. From the spot, Taty placed the shot bottom corner for a first-half brace sending his team into the half up 3-0.

Taty secures the win with a four-goal performance 

The second half would start similar to the first as NYCFC would find themselves on the attack in the 55-minute. Picking up the ball in the midfield, Santiago Rodríguez would create space and play a perfect ball for a breaking Magno. With Magno opting to “dummy” the pass, the ball worked its way to Thiago Andrade for an opportunity 1-on-1 with MacMath in which Thiago Andrade prevailed, 4-0.

With the ball bouncing around RSL’s defensive area just a minute later, it would be Taty this time attacking the ball and drawing a foul from Jaziel Orozco for the game’s second PK. Despite MacMath getting a touch, Taty again managed from the spot to make it a hat-trick on the day and to up NYCFC’s lead 5-0 in the 56-minute 

However, this goal-fest wouldn’t end there as an 80-minute backpass to MacMath went completely wrong with the goalkeeper under some pressure and passing it straight to Taty’s feet. A one-time shot from Taty would take a slight deflection but eventually found its way into the goal for a total of four from the Argentinian. 

Last Word: Is this a return to form for the 2021 Champions?

It’s no secret that NYCFC has struggled early this season with trying to manage the game load that participating in both MLS and CCL brings. But with the club being eliminated last weekend by Seattle, NYCFC took this opportunity to show they’re still a top squad in MLS. 

And now with Ronny Deila and his players focused solely on league play, is this the start of NYCFC returning to some level of good form, at least when compared to the first few games from this campaign?

While RSL has been solid to start this season, they’ve traditionally had trouble winning any games on the East Coast which is why a 6-0 loss maybe wasn’t a massive surprise.

Ultimately, I believe we’ll get a much better answer to this question when NYCFC takes on Toronto this Sunday (April 24), a familiar Eastern Conference opponent who’s already beaten New York City earlier this year. The game kicks off at 5:08 pm ET and the game will be shown live on TSN, YES Network, YES App, and NYCFC.com/radio.

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