Hannes Wolf Leads NYCFC to 3-0 Victory Over Columbus Crew with Hat Trick
Hannes Wolf scored twice in the opening 16 minutes and completed his first professional hat trick in the 66th minute, helping New York City Football Club end a seven-game winless streak with a 3-0 victory against the visiting Columbus Crew on Sunday.
Wolf missed New York’s 1-0 loss against CF Montreal on April 25 due to an injury sustained three days earlier against FC Cincinnati. Although he was a substitute in last week’s 2-0 loss, he made a significant impact upon his return against Columbus.
With this win, NYCFC (4-5-3, 15 points) secured its first victory since defeating Colorado on March 14. Following a tough stretch of 0-5-2, Wolf opened the scoring in the 12th minute and added another goal in the 16th before clinching the match later on.
This hat trick marks the seventh in MLS this season and is the eighth in NYCFC’s history, being the first since Alonso Martinez achieved one at FC Dallas on July 25.
Nicolas Fernandez assisted on each of Wolf’s goals, while Nico Cavallo and Agustin Ojeda also contributed an assist each.
Wolf took the lead for NYCFC by positioning himself just above the box after a well-coordinated sequence involving four passes. Ojeda, receiving a pass from Fernandez, maneuvered past Columbus defender Rudy Camacho and fed a flick to Wolf.
Wolf concluded the play with a right-footed shot, beating goalie Patrick Schulte and nestling the ball in the bottom right corner.
NYCFC extended its lead when Wolf moved closer to the net, receiving a pass from Fernandez along the end line and unleashing a left-footed shot from about six yards out that found the upper part of the net.
He completed his hat trick by receiving a quick pass from Fernandez in the center of the box and converting with a right-footed shot into the middle of the net.
NYCFC’s goalie Matt Freese made two saves during his 100th career regular-season MLS match, marking his second shutout of the season.
Columbus (3-6-3, 12 points) faced its third blanking of the season and has been held to two goals or fewer for the 11th time this year. Schulte recorded three saves during the match.