Sporting Kansas City v. New York City FC 2025 MLS Regular Season - Matchday 26 Date: Saturday, July 19, 2025 | Kickoff: 8:40pm ET Location: Children's Mercy Park | Kansas City, Kansas Television: MLS Season Pass Radio (English/Spanish): New York City FC App | Tune In App newyorkcityfc.com/radio
NEW YORK CITY FC HEAD COACH PASCAL JANSEN
On the importance of getting a win midweek going into Kansas... "For us, it was very important to get a good result in an away game —period — against a strong opponent like Orlando at home. In those conditions, I was told it was going to be tough, and it was a very tough game. So confidence-wise, it helps, of course — the way we got the result. But we’re looking beyond that. We want to get better at our away games because that’s been an issue in several conversations. So, going into this Kansas City game — being an away game as well — we want to make sure that our stretch goes further than just the game against Orlando."
On the travel in MLS and how it affects the team’s preparation... "I would say it affects more. I can’t say it affects more than I expected because it’s my first experience undergoing this. On the other hand, we know it’s part of MLS, so we have to deal with it. For that, I have to give a lot of credit to the rest of my staff — my performance staff in particular — because they’ve been preparing our players for these circumstances well before we went into this sequence. We hope to benefit from that and make sure we have a big chance of performing as well as we can."
NEW YORK CITY FC FORWARD ALONSO MARTÍNEZ
On having support from Costa Rican and New York City FC fans… “Yeah, honestly, I’m very happy. I always see Costa Rican flags, and that means a lot to me. It shows me how much people care. We Ticos are affectionate like that. But it’s not just Costa Ricans—New York fans have also shown me a lot of love. Sometimes it’s hard to see Ticos in the stands, but I’m really, really thankful to all of them.”
Sobre el apoyo que le muestran los costarricenses y los aficionados del New York City FC... “Sí, bueno, muy feliz, la verdad. Siempre encuentro banderas de Costa Rica y eso me da mucha ilusión. Me muestra mucho cariño. Los ticos somos así, cariñosos. Pero no solo los ticos: también la afición de Nueva York me ha mostrado mucho cariño. A veces cuesta ver ticos en los estadios, pero me siento muy agradecido con todos.”
On the trust Head Coach Pascal Jansen has in him… “In the end, I have to thank coach Pascal. He has a lot of confidence in me, and I’m very grateful for the way he treats me. But I have to repay that with goals, do things the best way I can, and keep doing what he asks of me. At one point in the match, he moved me to play as a winger because [Mounsef] Bakrar and Seymour [Reid] had come on. That’s just part of what the coach asks from you, and I’m really thankful that he trusts me.”
Sobre la confianza que el Técnico Pascal Jansen tiene en el... “Sí, bueno, al final tengo que agradecerle al profesor Pascal. Me tiene mucha confianza y estoy muy agradecido por ese trato. Pero tengo que pagarle con goles, hacerlo de la mejor manera y seguir cumpliendo con lo que él me pide. En una parte del partido me puso a jugar de extremo porque ya habían entrado [Mounsef] Bakrar y Seymour [Reid]. Eso es parte de lo que el técnico te pide, y estoy muy agradecido con él por confiar en mí."
CLASH OF TWO CITIES
New York City FC and Sporting Kansas City are scheduled to meet for a Matchday 26 clash that will serve as only the seventh game played in series history.
The last time these two sides met was during the 2022 MLS Regular Season, when New York City welcomed Sporting Kansas City to Citi Field in May of that year.
The match ended in the series’ first ever tie, as they drew 0-0.
Only two times in series history has New York City FC failed to score against Sporting Kansas City: the first ever meeting in 2015 that ended in a 1-0 win for SKC, and the most recent in 2022, where both teams could not record a goal.
New York City has the slight edge in this series in both the overall record with a 3-2-1 (W-L-D) and goals scored (7-5).
On the road, New York City’s record is 1-1-0, with three goals scored and also three allowed. Both games were played at Children's Mercy Park.
New York City FC’s first road game against Sporting Kansas City took place on July 10, 2016, ending in a 3-1 defeat. Frank Lampard put New York City FC on the score sheet in the 14th minute, with an assist from Ronald Matarrita.
Their second and most recent meeting with Sporting Kansas City came on March 4, 2018, resulting in a 2-0 victory. Maxi Moralez opened the scoring in the 32nd minute off an assist from David Villa, and Jesús Medina doubled the lead in the 53rd minute with a setup from Ben Sweat.
At home, their record is 2-1-1 with four goals scored and two conceded.
New York City has scored three goals in the first halves of games against Sporting KC, and four in the second halves.
As for the breakdown in 15-minute intervals, the Club has one goal scored in minutes 1-15, two goals in minutes 31-45, 46-60, and 76-90, and no goals recorded in minutes 16-30 and 61-75.
Maxi Moralez is the only player on the current New York City FC roster to record a goal contribution against Sporting KC, with one goal scored through four games played.
He is tied with six other former New York City FC players for most goals scored in the series.
Aside from Moralez, other New York City FC players to have made appearances against Sporting KC include Tayvon Gray (1 GP) and Thiago Martins (1 GP), Keaton Parks (2 GP) and Andrés Perea (2 GP), and Goalkeepers Greg Ranjitsingh (1 GP) and Tomás Romero (3 GP).
Perea’s two appearances came when he played with Orlando City SC.
Romero has played three games against SKC in his career. All those games came when he was playing for Los Angeles FC.
Romero has recorded 270 minutes, 12 shots against, six saves, a goals against average (GAA) of 2.00, and conceded six goals.
Ranjitsingh played against SKC when he was with Minnesota United FC.
He played one game and recorded 90 minutes, four shots faced, three saves, and conceded two goals.
The lone game was played in August 2020, and Minnesota United lost the game 1-2.
The most goals scored in a single game by New York City FC against Sporting KC were three, and it occurred in a 3-1 win for the Club on July 26, 2019, at Yankee Stadium.
On the inverse, the most goals conceded in a single game by the Club against SKC were also three in a 3-1 away loss at Children's Mercy Park on July 10, 2016.
SWEEPING AND CATCHING UP
New York City FC accomplished several seasonal milestones with the thrilling 2-1 victory over Orlando City SC.
Only three times in Club history have New York City FC successfully completed a late comeback in which they were trailing after 80 minutes to win a match.
The first instance was August 8, 2019, when the Club was trailing the Houston Dynamo 2-1 in the 80th minute, but scored twice in the 83rd and 93rd to win the match 3-2 at Yankee Stadium.
Midfielder Keaton Parks had an assist in that match.
The second time was June 27, 2021, when New York City was losing 1-0 to D.C. United in the 80th minute but scored in the 84th and 95th to win 2-1 at Sports Illustrated Stadium.
Keaton Parks scored the first comeback goal in the 84th, and Midfielder Maxi Moralez assisted him.
The most recent occurrence of a late comeback was this season, on July 16, 2025, when New York City was down 1-0 in the 80th to Orlando City but scored in the 87th and 91st to win the match 2-1 at Inter&Co Stadium.
Forward Alonso Martínez scored the goal in the 91st, and he was assisted by Forward Julián Fernández. The goal in the 87th was an own goal by Orlando.
The comeback over Orlando City is the only time New York City won in this fashion in a road win, as the other two times occurred at home.
With New York City winning both games against Orlando City in league play, this marks the second time in series history that the Club has swept Orlando, with the other time being in the 2018 MLS Regular Season.
This is the 18th recorded sweep in Club history.
New York City has completed at least one sweep in every season since 2017.
The team has completed at least two sweeps in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2024, and 2025.
By the numbers, the two teams that New York City has historically swept the most are Toronto (3) and Cincinnati (3).
Additional teams that New York City has recorded at least two sweeps against are Chicago (2), Miami (2), Philadelphia (2), Orlando (2), and the New York Red Bulls (2).
Lastly, the two teams New York City has only recorded a singular sweep against are New England (1) and CF Montréal (1).
12 players have scored in games that helped New York City achieve a sweep over a team: Maxi Moralez (7), Alonso Martínez (4), Keaton Parks (3), Forward Hannes Wolf (2), Forward Kevin O’Toole (2), Midfielder Andrés Perea (2), Mounsef Bakrar (2), Defender Mitja Ilenič (1), Forward Agustín Ojeda (1), Forward Malachi Jones (1), Defender Tayvon Gray (1), and Julián Fernández (1).
11 players have assisted: Moralez (20), Wolf (4), Parks (4), Gray (3), Ojeda (2), O’Toole (1), Midfielder Aiden O'Neill (1), Jones (1), Ilenič (1), and Fernández (2), and Defender Thiago Martins (1).
In all-time MLS Regular Season matches, New York City FC has won 31 games in which they trailed at any point, and they have come back to tie 41 games.
In the 31 matches where New York City FC came from behind to secure a win, 18 different players have scored the equalizing goal that sparked the comeback.
Current squad members who have done so include: Maxi Moralez, Midfielder Keaton Parks, and Forwards Mounsef Bakrar, and Julián Fernández.
Former players who contributed in similar fashion are: Thiago Andrade, Jo Inge Berget, Alexander Callens, Valentín Castellanos, Maxime Chanot, Héber, Jack Harrison, Yangel Herrera, Gary Mackay-Steven, Tommy McNamara, Jesús Medina, Santiago Rodríguez, Anton Tinnerholm, and David Villa.
In matches where New York City FC has taken the lead at any point, the team has recorded 150 wins, 41 draws, and 23 losses.
With his goal against Orlando City on Wednesday evening, Martínez is now the fifth player in franchise history to record 25 goals in the MLS Regular Season for New York City FC.
He reached this milestone in rapid fashion, becoming the second fastest player in Club history to do so, accomplishing it in 48 matches.
The only player ahead of Martínez is former Forward David Villa, who reached 25 goals in 40 matches.
Rounding out the top five are Forwards Ismael Tajouri-Shradi (achieved this milestone in 75 matches) and Valentín Castellanos (achieved it in 78 matches), and Maxi Moralez (achieved it in 150 matches).
Also, with his goal against Orlando, Alonso Martínez joined the likes of Valentín Castellanos and David Villa as the only players in Club history to score at least 25 goals in a two-season span.
Additionally, Martínez is now tied for the fifth-most goals in Club history in MLS play with the inclusion of the postseason, with 26 goals.
He matches Forward Héber and Midfielder Santiago Rodríguez.
Players ahead of Martínez on this list include Villa (80 goals), Castellanos (53), Moralez (34), and Tajouri-Shradi (28).
In Major League Soccer, Martínez is tied with two other players for second overall in game-winning goals scored this season, with five. Martínez achieved this 19 games played.
Forward Kévin Denkey of FC Cincinnati leads the league in this statistic, with seven game-winning goals and 21 games played.
In Club history during the MLS Regular Season, Martínez has the fifth-most game winning goals with eight. Villa leads this statistic with 16, followed by Castellanos (12), Tajouri-Shradi (11), Harrison (9), and Maxi Moralez (9).
Overall, this season, five players have scored the game-winning goal for the Club, including Alonso Martínez (five times), Hannes Wolf (twice), Forward Agustín Ojeda (once), and Julián Fernández (once), Moralez (once), and Defender Mitja Ilenič (once).
Against Chicago Fire, New England Revolution, Inter Miami CF, Orlando City SC, Nashville SC, and Atlanta United, the Club made comebacks at some point throughout the match.
However, they did not all lead to victories, as the Club drew against Miami and Nashville and lost to Atlanta (on Matchday 6).
New York City recorded wins against Chicago, New England, and Orlando City (against ORL two times this season, on Matchdays 3 and 25).
Against these teams, New York City scored 16 but conceded 12.
When playing Chicago Fire, the New England Revolution (2-1 on Matchday 4), Inter Miami CF, Nashville SC, and Orlando City (2-1 on Matchday 25), the opponents scored first, but New York City rallied to capture at least one point from all three for a record of 3-0-2 (W-L-D).
In total, they received 11 points from these matches.
