Cincinnati Desperate to End the Road Curse While NYCFC Searches for Anything That Looks Like a Win

Here's the problem: NYCFC is 0-3-1 over their last four matches and absolutely needs to find a win. Cincinnati is 0-3-1 on the road this season. Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium, one of these teams has to break through. Spoiler alert: the other one's problems just got worse.

NYCFC's Spin Game

New York City FC lost to Charlotte FC 2-1 last Saturday and they're in full damage control mode. Coach Pascal Jansen is trying to convince anyone who will listen that the results don't match the performance. "We played a good game," Jansen told reporters Monday. "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."

Translation: they're playing okay and getting nothing out of it. NYCFC sits at 3-3-2 with 11 points, stuck in neutral when they need momentum. The only bright spot is Nicolas Fernandez, who scored again in stoppage time on Saturday to reach six goals in eight matches this season. That's a massive jump from his three goals in 11 appearances last year. "Every year, I set myself a target of what I want to achieve," Fernandez said. "Luckily, it's been happening this season. Just have to continue on that streak."

Cincinnati's Positive Noise

Cincinnati came out of Saturday's 3-3 draw with Chicago feeling better about themselves, even though they're stuck at 2-4-2 with 8 points. The Crew clawed back from a 3-1 halftime hole when Evander converted a penalty in the 79th minute and an own goal from Chicago seven minutes later tied it up. That's their second straight draw, and head coach Pat Noonan is trying to build off the momentum. "Play-wise, there's been a lot of positives, but now that needs to translate into the wins," Noonan said Tuesday. The frustration is real: the soccer looks better, but the table doesn't show it.

History Says NYCFC Has the Edge

NYCFC posted a pair of 1-0 victories over Cincinnati last season, so the home team comes in with some recent success in this matchup. But both teams are starving for results right now, and whoever finds the net first Wednesday gets a massive psychological boost heading into the next stretch.

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