Three games at Red Bull Arena in eight days and now three wins earned for New York City FC, who just defeated Nashville SC 3-1 in the team's final "home" game of the MLS regular season.
New York City extended its love affair with early goals, as Santiago Rodríguez scored after just 17 seconds for the second-fastest goal in team history. NYCFC led 3-0 after 21 minutes, and while the game tilted in Nashville's favor for long stretches, the visiting team looked doomed to defeat once down by three.
This wasn't a perfect performance from New York City but it was good enough to pull them closer to their goal, Fourth Place in the Eastern Conference (and a home-field advantage for Round One of the MLS Cup Playoffs). They'll now need to win on Decision Day in Montréal, and they'll need help from 12th Place Atlanta United FC, who would need to beat Orlando City SC on the road on the season's final day to give New York City a shot at Fourth.
• New York City looked shaky after scoring a third goal, as Nashville had lots of momentum and lots of chances to score, though only cashed in once.
• He didn't keep a clean sheet but Matt Freese again made some crucial second-half saves to hold Nashville at bay and prevent the score from tightening.
The ratings form will remain open until 11:59 pm on Monday, October 7. Results will be published on the morning of Tuesday, October 8.
