NYCFC beat Red Bulls to pull even in Eastern Conference standings

It had been 16 games dating back to last season since New York City Football Club forward Mounsef Bakrar last scored a goal.

But Bakrar picked the biggest moment of the young NYCFC season to snap his scoring drought in the 64th minute of a tie game with the club’s biggest rival, the New York Red Bulls.

The goal helped lift NYCFC to a 2-1 win on Saturday night at Citi Field and pulled them even in the Eastern Conference standings with the Red Bulls.

“It’s a really good feeling,” defender James Sands said about the win that capped off a three-win week for NYCFC. “The Red Bulls are obviously doing very well this season. … To cap off a three-game week with nine points is a really good feeling.”

The go-ahead goal developed off a spectacular display of passing by NYCFC as Hannes Wolf moved the ball to Tayvon Gray after shaking a defender.

Gray dribbled the ball along the edge of the box before finding Bakrar, who quickly directed the ball past Red Bulls keeper Carlos Coronel.

The moment of joy was evident on Bakrar’s face.

He celebrated by running over to NYCFC head coach Nick Cushing and jumping into his arms before other members of the team’s coach staff and his teammates joined in the celebration.

“Just thank you,” Bakrar revealed he said to his coach at that moment. “I was so happy. I didn’t even think what to say. I just wanted to thank him a lot because he always believed in me.”

But Cushing didn’t feel that any thanks was necessary from the Algerian striker.

“He has worked incredibly hard to get to our football club and make the step into MLS,” Cushing said. “I watch him every day working incredibly hard to refine his ability. Never once did I think he wouldn’t score.”

The victory capped an impressive week for NYCFC, which picked up its third straight win, and snapped a two-game winning streak for the Red Bulls, who had entered the match in third place in the Eastern Conference just three points in front of their Big Apple rival.

NYCFC opened the scoring in the match’s third minute off Wolf’s second goal of the season when he faked out a Red Bulls defender and then buried a laser of a shot past Coronel.

The skilled goal started when NYCFC attacker Malachi Jones went streaking up the far side of the field and, under pressure, managed to send a cross to Wolf who was standing in the center of the box.

Wolf got Red Bulls midfielder Daniel Edelman to bite on a fake shot and booted the ball past the diving keeper.

But a dominant first half was undone in the closing moments.

The Red Bulls evened the score in stoppage time thanks to a defensive miscue by NYCFC and a blast from Cameron Harper from outside the penalty area.

Harper dribbled the ball a few steps before firing a shot that went just out of the reach of NYCFC goalkeeper Matt Freese, hit off the crossbar, and went down into the net for the equalizer.

Saturday’s NYCFC win was also the first time in more than a year that they have managed to beat the Red Bulls in a Hudson River Derby showdown, and it marked the first time the teams had played one another at Citi Field.