Injury-riddled NYCFC manages a win on the road against the Columbus Crew | OneFootball

After two months without a game, New York City FC is officially back! The Pigeons played their first Major League Soccer game after pausing for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Unfortunately, the injury problems have not gone away, especially since two of the three World Cup participants, Aiden O’Neill and Kai Trewin, are out due to ankle surgeries.

Nevertheless, the team had to play their match against the Columbus Crew, and for the first time since 2017, the Boys in Blue won on the road in Columbus in MLS. It was not pretty, but the 2-1 result got the job done.

Notably, the lineup was not terrible by any means.  James Sands made his 2026 debut in his return, and NYCFC’s newest Designated Player, Bénie Traoré, made his debut, slotting in at the center-forward position.  This allowed Nicolás Fernández Mercau to play as the attacking midfielder, filling in for the injured Maxi Moralez.

Plus, despite the injuries to the squad, the depth on the bench, although not as strong as in previous matches, was good enough to give Pascal Jansen options with his substitutes.  Oh, and one of those subs eventually led to the winning goal.

NYCFC manages road win in Columbus

It was clear that both teams were rusty, especially NYCFC since they had not played until Wednesday.  The Crew played a friendly, and they were immediately the better side.  They controlled the pace of play, and the Bronx players could barely regain possession.  Hence, it felt like it was going to be one of those disappointing games for them.

However, slowly but surely, the Pigeons grew into the match.  They began to gain periods of possession, and consistently defended for almost the entire fixture.  In fact, during the first half, NYCFC held the home side to no shots on target.  Still, the offensive effort was not so great for the visitors either, for both sides only had two shots.

The difference, though, was that the Boys in Blue had the one shot on target, and that was thanks to a penalty kick.  Agustín Ojeda was brought down in the box, and the team’s leading scorer, Fernández Mercau, stepped up to put his side in front.  He sent Patrick Schulte the other way while he easily slotted the ball into the left side of the goal in the 28th minute.

Meanwhile, it took the Crew until the 48th minute to get their first shot on target.  Taha Habroune forced Matt Freese, who the fans kept booing throughout the game, to react swiftly and bring himself to the ground, going to his left to force the ball away.  Afterward, the battle became more exciting for both teams.

Offensively, both became more lively, where by the end of the fixture, NYCFC had eight shots, and the Crew had 11. But the Boys in Blue were more threatening on goal, and they easily could have scored more goals than they did.

For example, there was the moment in the 66th minute when Ojeda’s shot was saved, and then Fernández Mercau retained possession.  The Argentine subsequently found Tayvon Gray, who then crossed the ball to Andrés Perea.  The midfielder powerfully headed the ball, forcing Schulte to make the stop.  But Perea then attempted another shot on the rebound, forcing the double-save.  Truly, the Pigeons should have scored here.

Thankfully, it was just a few minutes later, in the 70th minute, that NYCFC doubled their lead.  Talles Magno, who was one of the substitutes, cornered a Columbus play by the corner flag in an attempt to get the ball back.  The Brazilian was successful, and had room near the end line to move toward the goal.  Ojeda was waiting and made himself available.  With a pass, Magno sent the ball to his teammate, and suddenly the home side was up 2-0.

Toward the end of the second half, the Boys in Blue were so close to getting a shutout.  But Thiago Martins, who was lights out until then, made a mistake by lifting his arm in the box.  The ball ultimately made contact with his hand, and a handball was called.  Columbus earned a lifeline with the penalty kick, and Dániel Gazdag ruined Freese’s chance of a clean sheet by scoring on the goalkeeper.

At home, NYCFC fans were likely nervous watching the match.  Too many times this year, the Pigeons have allowed late goals that led to draws or losses.  The players had to hold on, and somehow, even with the home team’s confidence, they did.

Winning 2-1 on the road is exactly what was needed.  It was not easy, nor was it pretty.  Everyone had to dig down deep and work diligently to secure all three points.  NYCFC got the job done, and now they can focus on the next match.