Six weeks after New York City's embarrassing 7-0 defeat by the Red Bulls, which saw them booed off the pitch, it was a transformed side that earned a first victory over their local rivals in the short history of the Manchester City-owned club.
The result sends New York City top of the Eastern Conference, with 27 points from 18 games, while the Red Bulls are four points behind them in fourth place. It was their first ever victory over the Red Bulls in five attempts.
Any worries of another wretched performance by star-studded New York City dissipated when Harrison, who missed the May debacle due to injury, scored in the eighth minute with a shot that beat goalkeeper Luis Robles inside his near post.
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Midfielder Harrison, who was in Manchester United's youth system before moving to America at 14 and was a draft day trade with Chicago Fire after they selected him as the No. 1 overall SuperDraft pick, also played a big part in the second goal.
The 19-year-old collected a pass from countryman Frank Lampard before delivering an inch-perfect low cross that Spanish veteran David Villa poked home from point-blank range in the 66th minute to delight the majority of the 33,000-plus crowd.
"What is important for me is the way that the team turned up today," New York City coach Patrick Vieira told ESPN, before settling in front of a TV to watch his country, France, play on Iceland in a Euro 2016 quarter-final in Paris.
"We looked really solid. We looked really focused and taking the three points today is massively important, regardless of the team we played."
(Reporting by Andrew Both in Cary, North Carolina; Editing by Ken Ferris)
