Cincinnati's Road Curse Meets NYCFC's Winless Spiral: Someone's Breaking Tonight at Yankee Stadium

New York City FC is desperate. After four straight matches without a win in league play, they're hosting FC Cincinnati on Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium, and they need this one badly. NYCFC sits at 3-3-2 with 11 points, watching their results spiral downward even as head coach Pascal Jansen insists the play itself is there.

"We played a good game. It was a tough result, but game-wise, strategy-wise, play style-wise, it was a good game from our side, but unfortunately not good enough," Jansen told reporters on Monday after a 2-1 loss to Charlotte FC last Saturday. "But it's something that helps you go forward into the next sequence of games."

Fernandez Is Finally Clicking, But NYCFC Still Can't Find the Finish Line

Here's the bright spot for New York: Nicolas Fernandez is on fire. He scored in the third minute of second-half stoppage time on Saturday and now has six goals in eight matches this season. To put that in perspective, he managed just three goals in 11 appearances (10 starts) in 2025. He's already matched his entire league goal total from last year.

"Every year, I set myself a target of what I want to achieve. Luckily, it's been happening this season," Fernandez said Monday. "Just have to continue on that streak."

The problem? NYCFC's 0-3-1 record over their last four matches means individual brilliance isn't translating into team results.

Cincinnati Showing Life on the Road, But Needs to Turn Draws Into Wins

Cincinnati arrives in New York sitting at 2-4-2 with 8 points, and they're facing their own demons. The Reds are 0-3-1 on the road this season, a mirror image of NYCFC's recent struggles. But Cincinnati did grab its second straight draw on Saturday, battling back from 3-1 down to tie Chicago Fire 3-3. Evander converted a penalty in the 79th minute, and an own goal from Dje D'Avilla seven minutes later helped complete the comeback.

Head coach Pat Noonan sees the potential even if the scoreboard doesn't reflect it yet. "Play-wise, there's been a lot of positives, but now that needs to translate into the wins," Noonan said Tuesday. "I've been more pleased in the last two games with some of the overall play despite those results not being what we'd like."

One more thing worth noting: NYCFC won both matches against Cincinnati last season, taking each one 1-0. Wednesday night is a chance for either team to break their respective slumps. This is the kind of game where one team finally finds the answer, and right now, both squads desperately need it to be them.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.