NYCFC vs Charlotte FC preview: Get those 3 points and another win over the Crown | OneFootball

New York City FC desperately needs three points after going winless in their last three Major League Soccer games.  The Boys in Blue did win their U.S. Open Cup during the week, beating Westchester SC 5-2.  The team might have been a USL League One side, but the high-scoring win is still positive.  So, that is why there is hope that the Queens team will play well this weekend when they host Charlotte FC.

The last time NYCFC played the Crown was in the 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs Round One Best-of-3 series.  The Pigeons won the third fixture to move on to the next round, knocking Charlotte out.  Therefore, fans can believe that the visitors will try to take revenge.

The good news is that in the last four meetings, the Pigeons have won three games.  In fact, they are arguably unbeaten since they ended the second postseason fixture in a draw and lost on a penalty kick shootout.  Those games are usually recorded as draws.  The last true loss was the first meeting in 2025.

In other words, history is trending in the right direction, but can NYCFC keep it up?  Here is a preview of the match against Charlotte.

NYCFC vs Charlotte FC preview

Date

NYCFC and Charlotte FC will play the game on Saturday, April 18.

Time

The fixture will begin at 7:30 PM ET.

Location

The match will take place at Citi Field in Flushing, Queens, NY.

How to watch

Fans can watch the game on Apple TV.

Weather

Where did the warm weather go?  After a few days of parts of the city in the 80s and even hitting 90 degrees, fans will attend a game that is cold and cloudy, with rain on the way later that night.  It should not start until a few hours after the match.  It will be around 52 degrees, and the humidity will be close to 80%.  The dampness will make it feel like a winter evening.

Injury report

Drew Baiera (leg), Alonso Martínez (leg), Max Murray (leg), and Andrés Perea (leg) are all out for the meeting with Charlotte.

Players to watch

Nicolás Fernández Mercau is the player to watch on NYCFC.  The attacking midfielder continues to play incredibly well and is in the early running to be the team’s MVP.  He started the year scoring five goals in four of the first five matches.  Recently, he has failed to score in the last three, with it being noted that he made a brief substitute appearance against Westchester.  If the Argentine can find the back of the net, then it will be easier for the Pigeons to earn a win.

Fans should also watch Pep Biel on Charlotte FC.  The attacking midfielder has four goals and two assists in the regular season and will be one of the more threatening players for the Boys in Blue.  He is difficult to shut down, so it is vital that he is stopped and unable to contribute to the attack.

Prediction

Ideally, the U.S. Open Cup win will cause the players to have confidence, especially with scoring goals.  Charlotte FC will be a tough matchup, but it is time to be positive.  That is why NYCFC will win 2-0, with both goals coming in the second half.  There will be moments that test Matt Freese and his backline, but they will secure a clean sheet.