New York City FC went to Stade Seputo on Saturday afternoon and walked away with nothing as CF Montreal won the game 1-0 off of a first-half Prince Owusu goal. The defensive lapse is highlighted by the recent results which see NYC winless in their last five MLS matches. The frustration is apparent as the congestion of the MLS season sinks in heading into the World Cup break.
“I think we should be doing better in these moments,” said head coach Pascal Jansen on the defensive play during the game’s only goal. “It’s a similar goal that we conceded against Vancouver. The second goal we conceded against Vancouver is almost a duplicate of this goal. In this moment you see what we’re struggling with.”
City’s frustrations haven’t just been on the road, where they’ve only won once in 2026. Their recent home form saw them surrender four goals to FC Cincinnati and three to Inter Miami. Late goals have seen points slip away with the club feeling that their efforts throughout the 90 minutes haven’t been rewarded.
The season won’t get any easier as the club travels to Sports Illustrated Stadium on Wednesday to play Red Bull New York in the next round of the US Open Cup. From there they will have just days to prepare for a Sunday afternoon match against DC United. Rotation will be key, which saw players like Talles Magno and the recently signed Arnau Farnos take the field for significant minutes.
“We are not in the best moment right now,” said Farnos about the result. “We have to keep looking for the next game. The next game is the Open Cup on Wednesday against Red Bull and we have to prove ourselves again. We have to continue working, continue believing in ourselves and that’s when the results are going to come.”
photo from NYCFC