NYCFC beats Red Bulls with goals by Hannes Wolf, Mounsef Bakrar
Matt Freese #49 of New York City FC directs his teammates during the second half against D.C. United at Citi Field on April 20, 2024. Credit: Getty Images
Hannes Wolf and Mounsef Bakrar each scored a goal for New York City FC on Saturday night in a 2-1 win over the New York Red Bulls.
Bakrar gave New York City a 2-1 lead in the 64th minute. Wolf cut back to evade a defender at the right corner of the area and played a ball that led Tayvon Gray toward the goal line. Gray took one dribble before firing a cross to Bakrar for a one-touch finish from point-blank range.
NYCFC (7-5-2) has won three consecutive games.
The Red Bulls (6-3-5) lost for just the second time in their last 10 games.
Wolf, a 25-year-old rookie who scored his first MLS goal in a 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Union opened the scoring in the third minute. On the counter-attack, Malachi Jones ran down the left side onto a through ball played by Santiago Rodríguez and rolled a cross to Wolf, who cut back to evade a sliding defender and then scored from 7 yards out to give NYCFC a 1-0 lead.
Cameron Harper tied the score at 1-1 in first-half stoppage time. Sean Nealis played a long arcing pass from well beyond midfield and the 22-year-old Harper won the 50-50 ball from NYCFC’s Kevin O’Toole before ripping a right-footer from outside the area that ricocheted off the crossbar and bounced off the ground into the top of the net.
Matt Freese had three saves for NYCFC.
Carlos Coronel stopped two shots for the Red Bulls.
New York City had 58% possession but was outshot by the Red Bulls 14-12.
Nealis, who was shown a yellow card in the 67th minute, drew a red card in the third minute of stoppage time.
