New York City FC’s Snaps Season-Opening Skid with 2-1 Win over Toronto FC

For the first time since October, New York City FC claimed victory in MLS regular season competition. The boys in blue, down a man for the final 33 minutes Saturday at Yankee Stadium, survived to pick up a much-needed three points in a 2-1 win over previously unbeaten Toronto FC. 

After City had a lead slip away late in last week’s home opener against Portland, NYCFC fell behind less than 10 minutes into this contest courtesy of a Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty right-footed snipe. The home team was resilient though, as Santi Rodriguez equalized midway through the first half, and Kevin O’Toole broke the tie with his first career goal to secure a City victory. 

Here are three observations from the club’s first win in its fourth match of the season.

The Power of Possession

Nick Cushing was forced to change the strategy after Keaton Parks’ 69th minute red card left New York City FC shorthanded for the duration, but the home team set the tone early by dominating possession. In the first half alone, City, who had been sloppy during its 0-3 start to the 2024 campaign, was crisp and cohesive, with passing accuracy at nearly 90 percent, while possession was north of 68 percent in NYCFC’s favor. 

The strength of the unit was especially present on the game-winner, as five different players touched the ball in the attacking third before Kevin O’Toole netted the go-ahead tally. Limiting turnovers and finishing when opportunities arise will be crucial going forward.

Fernandez’s Emergence

Many were critical of Nick Cushing’s decision to bench Andrés Perea and Andres Jasson ahead of tonight’s match, paving the way for Julian Fernandez’s first start since the season-opener, but the move absolutely paid off. The 20 year-old forward was a force from the onset, creating space and acting as the facilitator, setting up chances for several teammates, including Rodriguez and ultimately, O’Toole.

The lack of a consistent striker has been of greatest concern for supporters over the past year, but not having a true distributor has been equally pressing. Fernandez, while still a raw talent, could be slowly emerging as a favorite to fill that void.

Crucial Success

To call this victory necessary would be an understatement. After three consecutive disappointing losses, especially last weekend’s collapse, New York City FC desperately needed something to feel good about before falling too far behind in the Eastern Conference table.

The offense’s ability to create chances, coupled with the defense’s incredibly resilient effort to prevent an equalizer during eleven grueling minutes of stoppage time, showed this group’s ceiling when everyone is playing to their full potential.

City could ill afford even a draw tonight with Cincinnati looming. Not only is that a tough opponent, but NYCFC will be down several players due to international competition, and now will be without the services of Keaton Parks after his red card. Goalkeeper Matt Freese was also banged up in tonight’s contest, which will be something of note to monitor as the week progresses.

However, everything starts somewhere, and New York City FC will look to use its first win of 2024 as a building block towards a successful spring and summer.