NEW YORK,NY(SMIWEST,10.28.18)-Maxime Chanot & David Villa's scored first half goals to helped New York City F.C. defeat Philadelphia 3-1, on Fan Appreciation Day and MLS' season final game at the legendary Yankee's Stadium, Bronx in NYC.

 

The Boys in Blue, who secured a play-off spot last week as a third-seed for the 2018 MLS Playoff, finished third place overall in the season with the record ( 16-10-8, 58 points ) and will face six seeded Philadelphia( 15-14-5 & 50 Points), once again for the knockout game on Wednesday October 31 or Thursday November 01, in New York.

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NYC .F.C started the match with a very well organized game plan from start, moving the ball well, with acuracy and forward, creating immediate chances of scoring opportunities that resulted in two goals in the spam of 10 minutes. David Villa could scored in the first 3' minute, when he ran in breakway through the leftside field but his shot was deflected out bounce by Philadelphia's goalkeeper Andre Blake.

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New York kept the pressure and the first goal arrived from a corner kick , when Maxi Moralez centered the ball inside 18',  finding  Maxim Chanot who easily headed inside the net to give NYC F.C. a  1-0 lead at the 8' minute.

With the Boys in Blue, keeping the momentum going to score more goals,  New York increased its lead to 2-0, when Philadelphia's defender Auston Trusty in an effort trying to clear the ball out from inside his small area, scored in the back of his own goal at the 10' minute.

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With the game of 2-0 in favor of NYC F.C., the 26,150 fans that gathered at the stadium, got crazy and loud for the rest of the game singing and dancing at the edge of their seats. Philadelphia scored in the 14th minute when Cory Burke fired a left-footed shot by Sean Johnson to cut the deficit to 2-1.

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David Villa added his 14' goal of the season to make it a 3-1 at the 34' minute in favor of the Boys in Blue and that's all they will need to seal the victory for New York. 

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" We will play the playoffs same way we played the first 30' minutes of the first half of today's game, with strong mentality and desire. You can win the MLS if you the desire to win and good mentality. We are stronger here when we play at home, everybody knows that but we have to play with desire and confidents. After the tatics are good, have to control the dangerous players, you have to play with good mentality and confidents. I'm very happy that way we played today with good rhythm,desire, good mentality because that the best way to win games." said  NYC F.C. Head Coach Domènec Torrent, at the post-game press conference after defeating Philadelphia 3-1 and how the team(NYC F.C,) will play in the upcoming play-offs games.