Frustration is officially here after attack-heavy NYCFC falls to Charlotte FC | OneFootball

In 2025, New York City FC and Charlotte FC played five times, spanning the regular season in Major League Soccer and the MLS Cup Playoffs.  The Boys Blue went 3-1-1, including two wins at Bank of America Stadium for the first time during the postseason.  The draw led to a loss via a penalty kick shootout, and the loss occurred during the first meeting.  Hence, the Queens team wanted to maintain the recent good times against the Crown.

Unfortunately, despite a strong attacking match, NYCFC fell 2-1 to Charlotte.  The struggle to find the back of the net, except for the late goal, and defensive mistakes, led to the loss at Citi Field.

While the two teams were close to being equal on paper, there was no question that NYCFC was the better side.  They maintained about 57% of the possession, and limited Charlotte to only one shot in the first half, which the Pigeons dominated in those first 45 minutes.  The second half was more equal in performance, excluding the two goals allowed.

Still, the sudden issue of NYCFC scoring in MLS popped up, returning from the last two games.  Perhaps fans will think that Pascal Jansen should have had a few different players in the lineup, but not capitalizing on opportunities means that the blame remains with the players. They had 23 shots compared to the opposition's eight. That is not acceptable.

NYCFC should have scored many goals but lost

Throughout the match, there were periods that were entertaining and full of high energy.  NYCFC was not consistent, so there were dull parts as well.  The Pigeons were extremely hungry for a goal, though, and that was evident from the beginning.

However, as the first half progressed, the fears of not being able to find the back of the net were loud.  There was plenty of time spent in the attacking third, and there were some chances that might have led to a goal if Charlotte had not had Kristijan Kahlina.  There have been multiple fixtures where the goalkeeper was the thorn in NYCFC’s side, and Saturday’s meeting was no different.

One of the best chances in the first half came from Agustín Ojeda’s chance right near the goal.  Kahlina’s fast reaction forced the ball away, and then Hannes Wolf received the rebound.  He tried to get NYCFC on the scoresheet, but Morrison Agyemang’s block acted as a reminder that one can have a brilliant offense and fail tremendously.

Meanwhile, the Boys in Blue had ten shots with three on target in the first half.  Some of the chances were fantastic, but were stopped by solid defense from Charlotte.  Other times, it was extremely frustrating to see the team miss out on chances.

Hence, the inability to score when they should have came back to haunt them.  In the 54th minute, NYCFC’s backline broke down.  There was some miscommunication with Thiago Martins and Raul Gustavo, giving Idan Toklomati space.  Matt Freese came off his line, and the striker easily slotted the ball into the goal.

That was a terrible mistake, and the Pigeons should never have allowed Charlotte to get back into the match. Plus, they struggled a little in the first 15 to 20 minutes of the second half. Afterward, they continued to attack, and there was a perfect moment for Gustavo to redeem himself in the 69th minute. He was right in front of the goal, but failed to put the ball on target with his harsh header.

Yet, some of the chances taken were lackluster.  There were too many soft shots, and some of the crosses and passes toward the goal were too easy for Kahlina to grab.  There were also scoring opportunities right in front of the goal, but either nobody was there, or they failed to get a touch on the gift.

So, it was not shocking that Charlotte scored again.  Kervin Vargas added the cherry on top in the 90th minute, once again taking advantage of the breakdown of the NYCFC defense.

Sadly, the home side’s attack came a little too late.  In stoppage time, Nicolás Fernández Mercau scored a golazo to get his team on the board.  It was another game, similar to the Inter Miami CF loss, where he scored an incredible goal, but the team failed to win.

Ultimately, it was another tough game to watch.  Again, it was not on Jansen, but rather what the players did not do on the pitch.  And that was scoring when they should have. Fernández Mercau's goal does not count.

NYCFC is now winless in their last four MLS games.  They have also only scored twice in their last three regular-season fixtures.  The scoring struggles are concerning, and it does not help that three of the last four games were at home.  Jansen and his team need to return to the success from the beginning of the season.

Or, perhaps the lack of a true starting striker is the real issue, and NYCFC's fantastic start was just plain old luck.