New York City FC are days away from their opening game of the 2026 season, a road trip to LA Galaxy. The club has spent much of the preseason in California where they have sharpened their tactics ahead of what head coach Pascal Jansen hopes will be a leap forward in the club’s results. Last year, the club came within one step of their second ever MLS Cup Final, falling to Inter Miami in the Eastern Conference semi-final. Now, the second-year coach is focused on bringing his style of football over the line, a year ahead of the club’s big stadium reveal.
“We did a pretty decent job,” said Jansen when asked about what he learned last season. “We did okay but we want more. We want to be successful. That means we have to do better than last season. The first step was put out there. We reached the Conference Final, which was a good achievement but at the end of the day we didn’t win anything.”
City aren’t coming into 2026 without question marks in key positions. The loss of Alonso Martinez, the team’s leading goal-scorer, during the playoffs means that the club still doesn’t have a designated striker. Nico Fernandez has filled in that role for most of preseason with occasional moments of Hannes Wolf showing his ability up front as well.
Talles Magno has also been discussed as a possibility but has struggled with fitness in recent years, creating a situation where he may not be the most reliable option. While that brings into question where the goals will come from at the striker position, there is little debate as to who will sure up the defense. Gustavo Raul and Thiago Martins appear ready to step into that role. Tayvon Gray continues to impress in the wing back position while the likes of Kevin O’Toole also shows his versatility.
For Jansen it is a statement season. The coach who came in with little background to many fans, showed that he is both a stoic leader but also a caring mentor. Players like Seymour Reid and Johnny Shore grew leaps and bounds under his tutelage. He also helped revive Maxi Moralez, who returns as the most decorated player in the team’s history.
“The steps have been made during the camps that we’ve had so far,” said Jansen. “We do have to take into consideration that we lost a few key pieces going into the season. In order to create new chemistry with the players, replacing those key players, that takes time. That is something we’ve been working on in preseason.”
The trip to Carson California will be one of two major west coast trips in 2026, setting the stage for what could be an early test of the club’s cohesiveness. Jansen’s confidence in his team is one that shouldn’t be understated. While there are questions about the roster, his commitment to the process appears to have the club ready to once again compete at the highest level in MLS.
photo from NYCFC