The Domenec Torrent Era’s red-hot start isn’t slowing down yet.
NYCFC picked up its fourth win in five games — and third in the past week — with Torrent in charge on Saturday night at Yankee Stadium, getting past the Columbus Crew, 2-0, thanks to two goals in the final 15 minutes. NYCFC has yet to lose at home this season.
A breakthrough nearly came earlier for NYCFC. In the 52nd minute. Maxi Moralez found himself alone in front of goal, but couldn’t get one past Columbus keeper Zack Steffan.
Still, that seemed to energize NYCFC after a tired first half. Chances started to come more quickly and easily, the dam seeming to bend. Another shot at goal came and went in the 72nd minute, but Columbus managed to stave it off.
Finally, eight minutes later, the dam broke.
Substitute Jonathan Lewis intercepted a pass out of goal from Steffan and hit the left post, seeming to follow the night’s pattern of chances continuing to escape the grasp of either team. But the 21-year-old found Jesus Medina on the other side of the box off the rebound with Steffan in no position to stop it, and the Paraguayan took full advantage.
“I knew I needed to come inside, but he just misplaced the pass and I was there,” Lewis said. “The whole point was, we were supposed to defend deep in the second half, so if anything I probably broke what [Torrent] said to do.”
Anton Tinnerholm added on in the 89th minute, finding himself in space on a counterattack, getting past Columbus defender Will Trapp, then sliding one past Steffan to seal the victory.
As for the Crew, midfielder Pedro Santos had a golden opportunity in the 67th minute, cutting in as NYCFC defender Alexander Callens fell to the ground, but Santos couldn’t finish. A few minutes later, he was subbed off, no doubt eliciting a sigh of relief from Torrent.
Early on, Santos buoyed Columbus, giving NYCFC’s defense fits throughout the early goings.
“In the first half … we didn’t play [well],” Torrent said. “And they played much much better than us. And they deserved more.”
Santos forced two saves from NYCFC goalkeeper Sean Johnson in the first 20 minutes, including a diving block after the midfielder uncorked a screamer from outside the box.
“Sean was the best player in the first half, for us,” Torrent said. “He was able to save our team.”
NYCFC didn’t notch their first shot until the match’s 22nd minute, when Maxime Chanot got his head to the ball off a corner kick, but Steffan managed to knock it away.
Toward the end of the first half, NYCFC created a few shots, but Columbus had an 11-6 advantage in the category at the 45-minute mark.
The Crew’s momentum didn’t last.