Andrea Pirlo made his MLS debut for New York City, but it was David Villa who stole the show with a fantastic opening goal.
The former Barcelona forward prepared for the upcoming All-Star game against Tottenham with a stunning first touch and finish against Orlando City, and added a second after half-time as New York won a thrilling game 5-3.
That first touch though, @Guaje7Villa 😱👌https://t.co/8S4DAJkQvZ
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) July 26, 2015
Pirlo showed some nice touches after coming off the bench, but the Villa stole centre-stage with a strike worthy of a world champion.
Orlando’s Canadian striker Cyle Larin bounced back well from his recent contender for miss of the season by scoring a hat-trick, but still ended up on the losing side.
#NYCFC Substitution: @Pirlo_official comes on for Mehdi Ballouchy
Welcome to The Club, Maestro.
— New York City FC (@newyorkcityfc) July 26, 2015
It is the second time in a month that New York have played out an eight-goal thriller, following their 4-4 draw with Toronto FC.
They remain towards the bottom of the MLS standings, but a fully-fit Pirlo and Frank Lampard could yet help lift them into the end-of-season playoffs.
