"It was all about love."
That's how Patrick Vieira answered when a reporter joked with him about hugging David Villa too hard after the final whistle blew, signaling NYCFC's 3-2 comeback victory in the Hudson River Derby was official.
And after all, what's not to love? David Villa's hattrick was the difference in this hotly contested Derby match, his 75th-minute penalty proving to be the game winner. As it often seems to be, when Villa is firing on all cylinders, so is New York City.
"David is our leader," said Vieira, "When he is playing like that, that lifts the team, and players are behind him the whole way.