Poor second half sees NYCFC lose to Club Necaxa to exit Leagues Cup in a whimper

On Thursday, New York City FC played their final match of the 2026 Leagues Cup. They faced Club Necaxa at Sports Illustrated Stadium and were still in the tournament when the game started. But it was clear that it would take a miracle for the Boys in Blue to move on, but they had to win.

NYCFC did not even give themselves a chance, for they fell 2-1 to Necaxa. They had a solid first half, but the second half left so much to be desired.

Pascal Jansen rotated his squad as expected, but he included some everyday starters, those who can start, and those who usually do not start. Notably, Keaton Parks was back in the starting lineup after his injury. Then, Matt Freese was rested, with Tomás Romero getting the rare start between the sticks.

It was a slow start for NYCFC, but Necaxa, who absolutely had nothing to play for, came out like their lives were on the line. They controlled possession and looked extremely threatening. However, the Pigeons grew into the game, and before fans knew it, they were controlling the pace of play.

NYCFC's last Leagues Cup game was poor

What NYCFC needed, though, were goals, and many of them. Of course, that was needed if the Pigeons wanted to move on in the Leagues Cup. As mentioned, it would take a miracle, and it would be better for the team not to move on so the focus can be on the regular season. But for the players, there is no question that they wanted that.

But Necaxa, while they eventually had to defend predominantly, made life difficult for the Boys in Blue. They limited their chances in front of the goal and frustrated those in the final third. But they did not fully keep the Bronx side out of the goal.

In the 37th minute, Nicolás Fernández Mercau sent the ball into the box from a corner kick. It went right to Parks, who was near the right side of the goal. The midfielder, despite having a Necaxa player jump on his back, headed the ball with ease to grab the first goal of the match.

Nevertheless, Necaxa went back to frustrating the Pigeons, and NYCFC struggled to find the back of the net. Parks’ goal was the exception, and this meant that the Mexican team could easily get back into the game. When playing on the counterattack, they remained threatening. And they tied the match in the 58th minute.

Juan Valencia scored a powerful goal, falling to the ground as Romero failed to stop the ball. The goal was a little controversial, though, for it was initially declared offside. After a long review, it was given, and looking at the line on Apple TV shows how close it was.

It did not help that NYCFC got cold in the final third in the second half. After eight shots in the first 45 minutes, they did not get off another one until the 87th minute. But the lackluster work in the attack boosted the confidence of their opponents.

So, Necaxa took over and scored their second goal of the night. A failed clearance allowed Pedro Pedraza to put the ball into the box in the 79th minute, and Juan Torres scored on an awkward shot. He also fell as he put the ball into the goal, causing an awkward bounce that Romero again could not stop.

So, the Pigeons failed to do anything substantial in the second half, and it honestly looked like they decided to play as if what happens, happens, after their goal. That led to the loss.

Now, while it is better that they do not move on, there was hope that they could still put on a show and win regardless of who started. After all, they did not want to enter the weekend with a poor performance hanging over them. The need to beat the Philadelphia Union is immense. The team cannot afford to take their foot off the gas when it comes to the regular season.

In the end, while it was expected that NYCFC would exit the Leagues Cup, it was not thought it would be like this. But hey, that is football.

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