New York City FC return to Citi Field for the first time in 2025 in what may be a pivotal moment in the current campaign. The club has lost two games in a row, putting into question the tactics and desire of both the coaches and players. That has been expressed to the media by both players and new head coach Pascal Jansen.
“It doesn’t matter what kind of circumstance we have to play in,” said Jansen when asked about how supporters can motivated the team. “We have to perform in any type of game, fans or no fans.”
This question came in response to how the team performed last week against Minnesota United. The team started flat and surrendered the lead just two minutes into the game. That misstep was never corrected as the club gave up a second goal to cap off a disastrous first half.The team did recover some of their form in the second half but it was too little for a team still looking to put together a full 90 minute performance.
“It doesn’t give us the excuse to start the game like we did,” said Jansen. “That is something we have to take into account and make sure it doesn’t happen again. Whether there’s one fan or 10,000 fans in the stands.”
The team’s focus now shifts to Philadelphia, a club that has seen a resurgence in the start of 2025 under new head coach Bradley Carnell. Their energy has been high and results have followed. NYC is looking for a similar spark which hasn’t been there to start the campaign. A new home in Citi Field, where the team has found success in recent years, may be just the trick to turn things around.
Currently, City sit in 11th place. Another loss could see them tumble even further, a fact that is not lost on the club as they are just two seasons removed from missing the playoffs for the second time in club history. Much has been made of the club’s efforts to focus on young, dynamic players. While that was a successful plan that won MLS Cup in 2021, the team has seen more exits in recent months, suffering the losses of James Sands and Santiago Rodriguez in particular.
“It’s still a challenge to not only maintain possession and control games but also to create bigger and better chances from that control,” said Jansen. “We’ve shown over the seven games that we have phases where we have the right mindset and the right body language on the pitch, and in how we play.”
Those elements will need to coalesce in a full performance on Saturday night. Tough trips to New England and Toronto are on the schedule, so a motivational win over a local rival could be what pushes the club in the right direction so early in the season.
photo by Jordan Bank