New York City FC got two first-half goals and then held on win 2-1 over Toronto FC on Sunday at Red Bull Arena, to spoil TFC's Supporters' Shield bid while putting themselves in a more advantageous playoff position.
The Red Bulls got its offense rolling midway through the first half, with Tom Barlow testing Quentin Westberg on a 23rd-minute shot. Less than a minute later, on a corner kick sent in by Florian Valot, Barlow headed past Westberg at the far post for the opener. Then, two minutes later, Brian White finished off a break with his fifth goal of the season to double the score.
The Red Bulls got one back early in the second half, however, when a lively Nick DeLeon put a shot on frame. Ryan Meara was able to save the initial shot, but was helpless against Tsubasa Endoh's putback to get TFC on the scoreboard.
Despite Jozy Altidore coming on for Toronto as a second half sub, and despite creating chances in the final third, the Red Bulls were able to hold on with tenacious defense—including defending three TFC corner kicks in a row during stoppage time. That result allowed them to move up to 6th place in the East and bypass the play-in round involving the 7th-place through 10th-place teams.
