Obafemi Martins scored twice as Seattle Sounders beat New York City FC 3-1 in the Bronx this morning to make it three wins on the spin.
New York returned to the city that never sleeps in dire need of a wake-up call after failing to win any of their last six before kickoff.
However, Martins's brace, along with a Clint Dempsey effort, piled more misery on Jason Kreis's side in the club's maiden year in existence.
Despite failing to win since mid-March, the hosts started well and fashioned their first sight of goal within six minutes when Patrick Mullins's effort fizzed narrowly past the left post.
Seattle slowly but surely grew into the contest, with Josh Saunders doing well to thwart former Premier League star Dempsey shortly after. However, Saunders could do very little about another ex-Premier League man Martins, who raced through on goal before slotting beyond the New York stopper on 23 minutes.
Kreis's charges responded well to the setback and twice came close through Pablo Alvarez and Jeb Brovsky, with the duo narrowly missing the target from range.
It proved a sign of things to come, however, as New York retained that momentum throughout the break and drew level on 54 minutes through Mehdi Ballouchy to send the home fans wild.
Almost instantly, Kreis withdrew Ballouchy for David Villa to increase the supporters' excitement, with the former Barcelona man missing the last two games through injury.
They were soon brought back down to earth as Dempsey netted just four minutes later, before the mood was further lessened by Martins picking up his brace on 67 minutes.
With the hosts in need of a hero, Villa sought to be that man, but the Spaniard was denied by Stefan Frei on 82 minutes as the comeback trail went cold.
Things went from bad to worse in the closing stages of normal time when Kwame Watson-Siriboe picked up a second yellow card in what proved another night to forget for City - now winless in seven.
Shane Callaghan
