Jansen Laments “Terrible Second Half”

New York City FC have left many regrets on the field in Chicago after giving up two goals in the second half against Chicago Fire FC. Not only did they give up a lead but they also did so while up a man as the Fire had to play with only 10 men following a red card by Dje D’Avilla.

“Terrible second half,” said head coach Pascal Jansen after the game. “I don’t know what happened because we went into the locker room knowing that we were in a perfect position. An away game against a strong side in Chicago, up a goal, and they were a man down. Obviously, you see patterns on the pitch where players back down, don’t challenge to the maximum and don’t press at full intensity. We got caught out on our right side in the moment leading to the first goal. That’s the example of what happened in the second half because we challenged that ball with no intensity.”

Jansen’s sharp words coincide with the club’s need for results. NYC entered this game in ninth place, needing a win to secure their position for the 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs. Now, after the loss, they leave it up to chance as FC Cincinnati and DC United could potentially leap over them, pushing their qualification chances into a dire question.

What particularly went wrong is hard to decipher. NYC started the game strong, forcing Chicago back into their own half and nearly scoring early in the game. They took advantage of their pressure in the 19th minute with a goal from Hannes Wolf. They also frustrated the Fire defense, forcing a red card before the halftime whistle. All signs pointed to at least a point at Soldier Field but all of that seemed to evaporate as Chicago controlled the final 45 minutes.

“Everybody’s very upset,” said City’s only goalscorer Wolf. “If you play the first half like we did, and they’re a man down, I think a team like ours should be able to take three points here. I don’t think there’s much you can say because we basically stopped doing everything we did in the first half when we came out for the second half.”

The hill becomes even harder to climb on Wednesday as City travel to Inter Miami for a pivotal game in their playoff chase. Rotation will be key as Alonso Martinez, who made his first start in 2026, will more than likely not be available to start. The ultimate question will be whether or not NYC can rebound and put today’s disappointment behind them in order to gain the points needed to return to the playoffs.