Funny what a 3-0 final score will do to your short-term memory.
Earlier today in the Bronx, New York City FC glided to an empathic victory over Western Conference punching bag San Jose Earthquakes, but only after lurching through a frustrating first half in which NYCFC struggled to create chances against the leakiest defense in MLS. The team’s saviors came from the bench: Second-half substitutes Maxi Moralez and Gabriel Pereira transformed a disjointed and wasteful NYCFC into a ruthless goal-scoring enterprise that lashed three past hapless San Jose goalkeeper JT Marcinkowski inside of 15 minutes—and that could easily have scored more if the spirit of Chris Wondolowski (who isn’t dead) hadn't been prowling the goal lines.