Villa at the double as New York bounce back in MLS

New York (AFP) – David Villa scored twice as New York City FC bounced back from their opening weekend defeat with a 4-0 rout of DC United in Major League Soccer on Sunday.

Former Spain and Barcelona star Villa scored once and created another in a dominant first-half display as New York responded to last week’s disappointing loss to Orlando City FC in emphatic fashion. 

New York took the lead after only eight minutes when Rodney Wallace volleyed home from close range after Jack Harrison’s curling effort from 25 yards crashed back off the bar. 

Wallace then turned provider in the 28th minute, crossing from the left flank to pick out Villa, who cleverly headed back across goal to wrongfoot DC United goalkeeper Bill Hamid and make it 2-0.

Villa was the architect of City’s third goal in the 39th minute, spinning away from his marker with a fine turn on halfway before releasing Argentinian veteran Maxi Moralez, who steered his low finish home.

Moralez then repaid Villa to set up the Spaniard’s second in the 75th minute, picking out the 2010 World Cup-winner in the penalty area. 

Villa still had plenty to do but his venomous shot flew past Hamid at the near-post to complete the scoring. 

While New York City were celebrating their first win of the season, expansion side Minnesota United were given another bruising introduction to life in the MLS. 

Minnesota — hammered 5-1 by Portland in their opening MLS game last weekend — were torn to pieces by fellow expansion side Atlanta, losing 6-1 at home in a game played in arctic conditions at the TCF Bank Stadium. 

A disastrous first home game of the season was effectively over inside the opening half an hour as Atlanta raced into a 3-0 lead after only 27 minutes. 

Josef Martinez opened the scoring on three minutes before Miguel Almiron made it 2-0 10 minutes later. Martinez grabbed his second in the 27th minute before Kevin Molino gave Minnesota a flicker of hope with a 39th-minute goal. 

Almiron added his second in the 52nd minute, however, before Martinez completed his hat trick 15 minutes from time to make it 5-1. Jacob Peterson added a sixth in stoppage time.