If you thought we’d seen the last of David Villa after Spain’s disastrous 2014 World Cup campaign, you were wrong. The Spanish striker signed off from international football with 59 goals to his name but he is still living it up in the United States of America.
Major League Soccer needed new stars after they lost the likes of David Beckham and Thierry Henry to retirement and Villa is one of few stars who have delivered. 38-year-old Chelsea legend Didier Drogba also scored with a sumptuous free-kick for Montreal Impact, reminding football fans that they are not done yet.
In a game between New York City FC and Vancouver Whitecaps, the New York club eventually won 3-2 to move out of the bottom of the Eastern Conference. Villa grabbed a brace in the first half after Vancouver had taken the lead in the very first minute through Octavio Rivero after goalkeeper Josh Saunders made a mistake.
But it was Villa’s second goal just before half-time that takes the cake. Pirlo took a corner for New York and floated in a ball into the box. Villa, initially man-marked inside the six-yard box, suddenly peeled away from his marker and moved outside the six-yard box.
His teammate gave him a screen to ensure his marker could not reach him in time and Pirlo’s cross was inch-perfect towards the edge of the six-yard box and away from the crowd.
Villa had all the time in the world to set himself up for the shot. With his eyes on the ball throughout, he volleyed it home with his body parallel to the ground. The goalkeeper was too slow to react and the volley found the bottom corner to give New York the lead.
Although Vancouver got a goal back, substitute Steven Mendoza scored the winner to give the side their first home win of the season in their third game in little over a week.
“I was dead, I was tired, emotions for winning the game,” Villa said according to MLS. “I am just tired. We played 90 minutes three times in a week. I am only a little bit old, but emotions for winning the game, too.”
