New York City FC blanked 3-0 by Houston Dynamo FC as three-game unbeaten streak ends
By Chris Tsakonas
New York City FC entered ‘Matchday 16’ with the fewest goals scored and conceded of any Eastern Conference team in playoff position. One of those trends continued, as City was held scoreless, failing to muster a single shot on target for the first 57 minutes of the match. But for the first time since April 19th, Matt Freese and the boys in blue conceded multiple goals, as Justin Haak’s own goal and former City forward Gabe Segal’s brace propelled visiting Houston Dynamo FC to a decisive 3-0 victory. The loss snapped a two-match win streak and three-match unbeaten streak for Pascal Jansen’s squad.
This interconference fixture was the first encounter between these two clubs since 2023, their first in the Empire State in six years. Both sides entered on hot streaks, but were also shorthanded. City had four inactives, including Andres Perea and Kevin O’Toole, while Houston had seven, most notably being without the services of leading goal scorer Ezequiel Ponce due to yellow card accumulation. Despite his absence, Houston didn’t have a problem.
Missed Opportunities and an Inopportune Momentum Swing
For the first 20 minutes, it was all New York City FC, and a goal seemed imminent. Alonso Martinez had a high percentage chance wiped away by an offsides call, and City strung together two corners in as many minutes soon after. However, things cataclysmically changed in the 26th minute, as following Nicolas Lodeiro’s shot in the area, Houston’s first as a team in 23 minutes, New York City’s backline failed to clear. Justin Haak was in the wrong place at the wrong time, as the ball deflected off him and into the net for an own goal, the third City has allowed this year.
After that punch in the mouth, NYCFC was hoping to equalize, but couldn’t come close before the break, unable to register a single shot before the whistle blew, while Houston fired off six more at Matt Freese.
Houston Unrelenting in the Second Half
As Matty Lawrence pointed out on the broadcast, the question after halftime was simple; how would New York City FC respond? City’s attack didn’t even get a legitimate chance to answer, as familiar foe Gabe Segal found the back of the net off a rebound in the 51st minute to double Houston’s advantage, his seventh career tally. Segal would ultimately add another on a penalty kick after a Nico Cavallo yellow card in extra time.
Pascal Jansen tried to make adjustments, making all five of his allotted substitutions in the final half hour, but it wasn’t enough. Houston dictated the pace, and after being gifted the momentum shifting own goal, left no stone unturned, taking firm control of the match for the duration, holding the home side to just one shot on goal.
Looking Ahead
It felt like progress was really being made for New York City FC, particularly after Saturday’s victory over the Chicago Fire, when Monsef Bakrar and Hannes Wolf each got on the board in emphatic fashion. Tonight’s match appeared to harken back to earlier stages of the 2025 season when City struggled with inconsistency on both ends. That being said, NYCFC still salvaged six points during a three-game homestand, a solid result for a club with postseason aspirations.
New York City will hit the road Saturday for a big test to wrap up the month of May in Music City against Nashville SC, a top tier team in the Eastern Conference. Live radio coverage with Glenn Crooks and Matty Lawrence will get underway at 4:15 P.M. at newyorkcityfc.com/radio.