NYCFC are in a slump

New York City FC 0-2 DC United

BRONX, NY–New York City Football Club dropped three points again at home against visiting DC United. The club has not won a league game now in seven matches and has not kept a clean sheet in any game since March 7th. It is safe to say the club is in a slump.

Despite enjoying a huge advantage in time of possession on Sunday it was a lapse in defense that let them down. On a long throw in the final third of the pitch, nobody was able to corral the ball and it fell right to the feet of Louis Munteanu of DC who slotted it home. New York then gave up a questionable PK in the box 75 minutes in to double the score line for DC.

But it was not just the defense that was lacking. The normally potent NYCFC attack could not test Sean Johnson nearly enough. Pascal Jansen commented on the lack of attacking possession after the match.

“Once we concede from a defensive error, we’re chasing the game. Normally, when everyone is fresh, sharp and playing with quality, we should be able to create much more than we did today. The numbers show it as well. The attacking side of the game was simply not good enough today.Credit to D.C. [United] as well, because when you have so many players behind the ball, closing spaces all the time and playing as direct as they do, it takes a lot of energy to control that and then go forward again. We weren’t good enough in possession and in attack, and that’s why we didn’t get on the scoreboard.

Malachi Jones returning is a bright spot for NYCFC amid several key injuries. Photo Credit: NewyorkcityFC.com

“It was not the kind of showing to build on after the Open Cup win midweek against NY Red Bull. Jansen addressed the club’s current form in the presser after as well. We can only make sure that we focus on improvement, like we’ve always done. That was the case in 2025, and that will be the case as long as I’m in charge in 2026 and beyond. Focusing on improvement also means making sure that we call each other out. We consider ourselves to be  a winning organization, a winning team. Based on my experience from 2025, we were heading
in the right direction. Like in life, [the MLS season]doesn’t always go in a straight line. Sometimes you plateau, sometimes you go through a tough run. The focus remains to be successful, but calling each other out and holding each other accountable is part of that process.”

There is still time for the club to rebound and make a run either before or after the World Cup break, but the front office must address their lack of a true difference maker off the bench somehow. Because of injuries and roster construction, the team had to rely on mostly inexperienced home grown players to change the match. While talented, these players are not experienced enough to change the tide of a game. Alonso Martinez will join the team again sometime after the World Cup and will provide a much needed counterpunch to Nico Fernandez Mercau, but he question is, “Will that be too little and too late?” .