Jack Harrison fired a second-half winner and David Villa shut the door with a thunderstrike on the last touch of the game as New York City FC bested the Columbus Crew 4-1 on Sunday afternoon at Yankee Stadium.
The win clinched a first-round playoff bye for NYCFC, who will get their first taste of postseason ball next Sunday.
“The motivation today was easy and every player was amazing,” Villa said post-match.
Stiven Mendoza struck first for the home team at the stroke of halftime, but an Ola Kamara header off a whipped-in cross from Justin Meram — who tends to feast on NYCFC defending — evened the score just before the hour, putting the first round bye in some doubt.