NYCFC falls to Inter Miami to lose first match of the 2026 season | OneFootball

Whenever Lionel Messi and Inter Miami CF play on the road, attendance for many teams tends to increase, whether they move to a bigger stadium or play somewhere where there is room for more fans.  The same was the case for New York City FC this Sunday when they welcomed the Herons for the first meeting since the devastating Eastern Conference Finals loss.

So, the Pigeons wanted revenge, and especially wanted to stop the bleeding since they lost the last regular season match in 2025, which was at home. Between both games, Miami outscored them 9-1. And in this game, the home team was not overrun, but they still lost 3-2.

Fans likely would have thought that NYCFC would do okay against the Florida side since Pascal Jansen put out the same Starting XI as the last few games.  Remember, the Boys in Blue have already won 5-0 and 3-1 at home entering this fixture, so it made sense that they found the back of the net more than once.

Alas, would this have been a game where the injured Alonso Martínez would have found the late equalizer for NYCFC?  Could the game have ended with all three points?

NYCFC falls to Inter Miami… again

Things did not start off well for NYCFC.  Miami scored just three minutes into the match thanks to Gonzalo Luján.  The Florida side had a corner kick and did not initially score from it.  However, the ball fell to Telasco Segovia, and his blocked shot moved the ball swiftly over to Luján.  The Bronx backline was a complete mess at that moment, so the defender slotted the ball home past Matt Freese.

Right away, there were concerns that Miami would do to NYCFC what they have done in the past two meetings.  While that thankfully did not occur, obviously, it was the start of the eventual loss.

The gritty game continued, and while Miami dominated the possession, the Pigeons had plenty of chances.  This included a free kick right outside the center of the box.  Maxi Moralez and Nicolás Fernández Mercau stepped up to take the free kick, but it was Fernández Mercau who actually took it.  The younger Argentine powerfully fired the ball over the wall, and it hit the top bar.  It fiercely ping ponged right into the goal, and there was nothing Dayne St. Clair could do.

That was the best offensive moment of the first half, and while NYCFC had periods of possession, Miami constantly threatened them.  Messi was the main threat, causing chaos in the defensive third.

The match continued as it was in the second half, and the fans’ heart rates were surely elevated throughout the rest of the 90 minutes.  And at one point, NYCFC had some hope when they went on top in the 59th minute.  The play started thanks to Kevin O’Toole, who powered the ball into the Pigeon’s attacking half.  The left-back found Moralez and saw Agustín Ojeda making a run towards the goal.

In one brief moment, the veteran swept the through-ball to the winger, who had nobody in front of him.  Ojeda speedily made his way toward the goal and slid the ball past St. Clair, who fell to the ground.  The Bronx side’s fans went crazy, but that did not last long.

A few minutes later, Miami had a free kick, which was slightly controversial since Messi kicked the ball right at Moralez’s hand.  But still, NYCFC could have been a little better at defending, for the midfielder sent Freese the other way while he snuck the ball into the goal with power.

Then, in the 74th minute, Miami went ahead again.  The center-back was in the right spot at the right time when Noah Allen put the ball near the goal.  With ease, the Brazilian headed Allen’s pass beyond Freese, and the rest is history.

Despite the fight, NYCFC could not find a way to score the equalizer again.  Plus, the players’ level of play declined.  There were a few more chances, especially in stoppage time, when Aiden O’Neill’s header was saved.  Sadly, they could not score off the corner kick either, and the Herons won their third match in a row against the Pigeons.

Notably, this was the Pigeons' first loss, and it was expected that Miami would enter the Big Apple desperate for a win after being knocked out of the CONCACAF Champions Cup.  Plus, going 3-1-1 in the first five games, which is better than expected, is not a bad start for a team that has been playing without a true starting striker.

Moreover, NYCFC was not demolished by the Herons.  The referee was a little biased with his calls, especially when light fouls were called in favor of the visitors and not players like Moralez.  Still, they were so close to remaining unbeaten.  A loss is a loss, but at least the Pigeons can be proud of their overall start to the season.