New York City FC manager Ronny Deila is a man of his word. After NYCFC won the 2021 MLS Cup in the freezing rain of Providence Park in Portland, OR, he took off his clothes in front of the away supporters, making good on the promise he made to the City faithful last year.
As they say in broadcast news, let’s go to the video:
It was the Dad Bod Seen ‘Round the World.
NYCFC won in penalty kicks in a bitterly contested away match against the Portland Timbers on a wet and blustery day. New York took the lead in the first half on a header from striker Taty Castellanos, but the Timbers drew the game with only seconds left on the clock and forced the game into overtime
Following up on a previous story to determine the brand of underpants Deila might choose when stepping in front of an international audience, Hudson River Blue can’t conclusively say what the NYCFC manager was wearing. One thing is for certain: Deila wasn’t wearing the navy blue NYCFC thong sold at the MLS store.
Order NYCFC “CHAMPS” or Taty Castellanos “TATYGOL” t-shirt or hoodie from BreakingT
Here’s the reverse angle:
Deila’s celebration was one of many that took place in Portland as NYCFC won their first MLS title. The club threw a party for the hundreds of away supporters who made the trip across the country to cheer on their team as they played at Providence Park in Portland, OR. It is one of the most atmospheric soccer stadiums in the United States, and a forbidding setting for visiting teams.
Lat night, NYCFC players sang and danced with their supporters, and fans who spent the season in the stands cheering on their team took turns posing with the MLS Cup.
Andrew “Barney” Barnard, a supporter from Portsmouth, England who crowdfunded his trip to Portland by appealing to NYCFC fans on Twitter, was able to get his hands on NYCFC’s newest piece of silverware.
Back in New York City, a capacity crowd at the Hammerstein Ballroom watch party erupted when center-back Alexander Callens buried his penalty shot in the roof of the net, sealing NYCFC’s win.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio lit historic city hall the sky-blue color of NYCFC to celebrate New York’s first national title since the New York Giants won the Super Bowl in 2012.
Now that NYCFC won their first championship in club history, New York City is blue.
Or, as we say in the Bronx, “Bing-Bong!”
