New York City FC muster 17 shots in scoreless draw with D.C. United
By Eddie Kalegi
So far, the 2025 New York City FC season has epitomized inconsistency. The club boasts victories over FC Cincinnati and the Philadelphia Union, two of the Eastern Conference’s elite, but entered Wednesday night on a losing streak, after falling to the USL’s Pittsburgh Riverhounds in the U.S. Open Cup, and previously gifting CF Montreal their first win of the year.
In a campaign filled with these ups and downs, New York City FC’s scoreless draw at Audi Stadium against D.C. United is a bit of an outlier. City’s performance in the areas of pace, shot creation, and goalkeeping are promising entering the second third of the regular season, but settling for just a single point against the fourth worst team in the Eastern Conference that was down its best player for much of the match certainly leaves something to be desired.
Early Opportunities Squandered
After D.C. United controlled possession for the first ten minutes of the match, New York City FC took over, and only furthered that advantage when D.C. star Christian Benteke, the reigning MLS Golden Boot, exited due to injury in the 20th minute. All told, City outshot the home side 10-2 in the opening frame, as leading goal scorer Alonso Martinez had multiple prime opportunities to break the scoreless tie.
Interestingly enough, New York City FC was stonewalled by a familiar face, as former keeper Luis Barraza, who appeared in 38 games for City over six seasons with the club, kept Martinez and his former squad off the scoreboard with three miraculous first half saves.
Goalkeeping Masterclass
As Matty Lawrence noted on the broadcast, with the relative ease of the first half paired with Benteke’s early exit, New York City had to avoid being lulled into a false sense of security where D.C. United could catch them napping and ultimately steal a victory.
Through the execution of some solid counters, the hosts were able to make things interesting in the final half hour. It took until the 66th minute for Matt Freese to face a shot, but when tested, he stood tall. His crowning moment came 13 minutes later, when the City net minder denied a point-blank centering shot from David Schnegg, after a ferocious connecting header from Kye Rowles.
Between Freese’s clutch moments and Barraza’s first half wizardry, the keepers unsurprisingly dictated a match between two of Major League Soccer’s lowest scoring offenses.
The Overall Assessment
A road draw did snap a two-game skid and elevated New York City FC into a playoff position, but with a 17-5 shot advantage and Christian Benteke’s early exit, this match appeared ripe for the taking. It’s hard not to view this one as a missed opportunity for the boys in blue. A pair of successive poorly executed corner kicks by Julian Fernandez in stoppage time exemplified how New York City FC was in control, but just couldn’t get the job done.
City will look to change its fate and get back in the win column Saturday against the New York Red Bulls, this year’s first rendition of the “Hudson River Derby,” and the first meeting between the clubs since last year’s MLS Cup playoffs, when the Red Bulls scored a 2-0 Eastern Conference semifinal victory before ultimately falling in the final to the LA Galaxy. Live radio coverage with Glenn Crooks and Matty Lawrence will get underway at 4:00 P.M. at newyorkcityfc.com/radio.