New York City FC v. Columbus Crew 2025 MLS Regular Season - Matchday 34 Date: Wednesday, September 17, 2025 | Kickoff: 7:40pm ET Location: Yankee Stadium | The Bronx, NY Television: MLS Season Pass Radio (English/Spanish): New York City FC App | Tune In App newyorkcityfc.com/radio
Looking ahead to our match against Columbus Crew, we've provided media assets for your convenience, including comprehensive game notes with relevant match information. Feel free to incorporate them into your coverage as needed.
NEW YORK CITY FC HEAD COACH PASCAL JANSEN
Thoughts on Columbus Crew Head Coach Wilfred Nancy... “First of all, he's an impressive coach. I think he is a very good and genuine colleague and also plays good football with his team. He has some great players he can use to implement his ideas. But we do our homework as well, so it's not only about the last game they played this weekend — it's also about games that they played over quite a bit of time. Also, of course, the lessons that we learned from game number one, playing away in Columbus, are something that we take with us in preparation for this game. So, I think we'll be prepared enough. We still have one day to make sure that we have our plan ready and then let's see what happens on the pitch.”
NEW YORK CITY FC MIDFIELDER NICOLÁS FERNÁNDEZ MERCAU
Sobre su adaptación al grupo... “Sí, la verdad que, como me recibió el grupo, me sentí muy cómodo desde el primer minuto que llegué. Y esa confianza con mis compañeros, [y] sentirme cómodo fuera de la cancha, también me llevó a cuando me tocó debutar, también estar cómodo y sentir confianza en mí mismo, también. Gracias a ellos, la verdad que me sentí muy bien. Pero creo que es gracias a ellos, porque yo, la verdad, que era nuevo, venía de estar de vacaciones y me faltaba ritmo, y fue lo primero que ellos me dieron, la confianza que me brindaron. Creo que me llevó a estar 100%.”
On his integration into the team and debut... “Honestly, the way the group received me — I felt very comfortable from the first minute I arrived. That confidence with my teammates, feeling comfortable off the pitch too, helped me feel confident and at ease when it was time to make my debut. Thanks to them, I honestly felt very good. But I think it's thanks to them, because honestly, I was new, I had just come off vacation, and I was lacking rhythm — and the first thing they gave me was that trust. I think that helped me get to 100%.”
Sobre su primer gol... “Sí, la verdad es que muy contento. Estaba con ganas de que llegue ya el primer gol, con ganas de que se me abra el arco para poder seguir convirtiendo mucho más. La verdad es que muy contento. Estaba con ansias de que llegue y bueno, por fin llegó. Los compañeros de ahí me felicitaron por mi primer gol y fue una muy buena experiencia.”
On scoring his first goal... “Honestly, I’m very happy. I was eager for that first goal to come, I wanted the goal to open up for me so I could keep scoring more. Overall, I am really happy. I was anxious for it to happen and well, it finally came. My teammates congratulated me on my first goal, and it was a very good feeling.”
HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS New York City FC, with four home matches left to play in the 2025 MLS Regular Season, have a 9-4-0 (W-L-D) when playing at home.
New York City FC is one of six teams this season to have captured nine or more wins at home.
Aside from New York City, four are in the Eastern Conference (Philadelphia Union, Charlotte FC, Nashville SC, and the New York Red Bulls) while one is the West (Vancouver Whitecaps FC).
57.5% of New York City’s total of 47 points thus far have come from games at home this season.
New York City has 22 goals scored at home this season, with Forward Alonso Martínez leading the roster with six.
Other active goal scorers, aside from Martínez with six, include Forward Hannes Wolf (5), Forward Julián Fernández (2), Midfielder Maxi Moralez (2), Defenders Justin Haak (1), Mitja Ilenič (1), and Kevin O’Toole (1), and Midfielders Andrés Perea (1) and Keaton Parks (1).
Two goals this season were scored by former Forward Mounsef Bakrar.
Of the 22 goals scored at home, 23 assists have been recorded. Maxi Moralez and Hannes Wolf are tied for the most, with five each.
Other players who have assisted at home include Justin Haak (2), Forward Agustín Ojeda (2), Julián Fernández (2), Mitja Ilenič (2), Alonso Martínez (2), Defender Aiden O’Neill (1), and Andrés Perea (1).
Martínez, who is tied with former Midfielder Santiago Rodríguez in this statistic, rounds out the top four of most goals scored all time at home in Club history, with 17.
Maxi Moralez is a few goals ahead in third with 21, while former Forwards Valentín Castellanos (32) and David Villa (48) are second and first.
New York City FC has yet to tie at home. If this stays, it is on track to be only the second time in Club history where the team has not split points at home, other than the shortened 2020 MLS Regular Season.
Without the inclusion of this unfinished 2025 year, the Club historically ties approximately 4.1 games at home per season.
Aside from the shortened 2020 season, the second least number of ties that have been recorded at home was during the 2024 MLS Regular Season, where the Club only tied three times when hosting.
New York City is undefeated at Citi Field this season with a record of 3-0-0.
The team’s won all three games that have been played there this year (v. Philadelphia Union, FC Cincinnati, and the New York Red Bulls).
New York City has scored four goals in Queens this season and conceded not a single one against the three aforementioned opponents.
The players that have scored at Citi Field include Martínez (2), Fernández (1), and Moralez (1).
The players that assisted include Ilenič (1) and Martínez (1).
Goalkeeper Matt Freese has played in all three games at Citi Field this season and has kept a clean sheet each time.
At Yankee Stadium, the team is 6-4-0.
The wins have come against Orlando City SC, the New England Revolution, Chicago Fire FC, Atlanta United FC, Toronto FC, and Nashville SC.
The goal scorers at Yankee Stadium are Wolf (5), Martínez (4), Fernández (1), Parks (1), Moralez (1), Ilenič (1), O’Toole (1), Perea (1), and Haak (1).
The players who assisted are Wolf (5), Moralez (5), Fernández (2), Haak (2), Ojeda (2), Perea (1), Ilenič (1), Martínez (1), and O’Neill (1).
SINCE 2015 With New York City FC celebrating their tenth anniversary playing in Major League Soccer since the Club’s inaugural season in 2015, they’ve faced off against many opponents. However, only nine have featured in a matchup against New York City in every single season.
All nine teams are in the East, and include CF Montréal, Chicago Fire FC, Columbus Crew, D.C. United, the New England Revolution, the New York Red Bulls, Orlando City SC, Philadelphia Union and Toronto FC.
The most matches have been played against New England (27 GP), with the team keeping a record of 10-11-6 (W-L-D) against the Revs.
New York City FC has scored 33 goals against New England and recorded 29 assists.
New York City has scored at least 30 goals against each of the nine teams.
The most goals have been scored against Orlando City (47G).
Additionally, 44 assists have been recorded against this opponent.
Against Orlando, 26 games have been played.
The Club has a record of 11-7-8 against Orlando.
New York City has won the most against Chicago Fire, with 13 victories.
Over 24 games played, the Club has kept a record of 13-3-8, with the most recent win coming during Matchweek 33.
Similarly, the Club has also lost the least against Chicago, with three defeats.
The team has conceded the least against Montréal (17G).
New York City has scored 33 goals against Montréal, and maintained a record of 12-5-5.
The 12 wins against Montréal stands as the second most amount of wins against these opponents, with only 13 against Chicago being higher.
The team has conceded the most against Columbus (40 GA).
However, New York City FC has 41 goals scored against Columbus, with 37 assists.
New York City’s record against the Crew is 7-10-7.
Various players on the current roster have scored against these nine opponents, including Moralez and Martínez tied for first (both with 17G).
Other players who have scored against these teams include Parks (8G), Wolf (7G), Fernández (5G), Ojeda (3G), Perea (3G), O’Toole (2G), Haak (2G), Gray (1G), Ilenič (1G), Midfielder Nicolás Mercau Fernández (1G), and Forwards Malachi Jones (1G) and Seymour Reid (1G).
When it comes to assists against these teams, Moralez leads with 50.
Players who have also recorded assists against these teams include Wolf (10A), Parks (8A), Gray (7A), Martínez (5A), Fernández (4A), Ojeda (4A), Defender Thiago Martins (3A), O’Toole (3A), Haak (1A), Ilenič (2A), Jones (2A), O’Neill (1A), and Perea (1A).
COLLIDING WITH COLUMBUS CREW New York City FC and the Columbus Crew will square off for the 25th time in MLS Regular Season play.
New York City FC has an all-time record of 7-10-7 (W-L-D) against the Crew, with the team having scored 41 goals and conceded 40.
At home, the team has a record of 6-3-2 against the Crew.
21 goals have been scored, with 19 assists recorded.
The two teams faced off earlier this season at Lower.com Field and played to a 0-0 draw.
Matt Freese made five saves and kept a clean sheet, which was his first of the season.
Freese’s clean sheet against Columbus was the first on the road for the Club in this series.
The most goals New York City FC has scored in a single game against Columbus Crew is four, accomplished twice: on October 23, 2016, and July 30, 2021.
Maxi Moralez is currently the all-time series leader in assists in MLS play against Columbus, with seven.
Of the current New York City FC roster, four players have scored: Alonso Martínez (1G), Agustín Ojeda (1G), and Justin Haak (1G) and Keaton Parks (1G)
Current players that have assisted against Columbus include Moralez (7), Defender Tayvon Gray (1), and Martínez (1).
In the last six encounters in this series dating back to August 6, 2022, New York City FC has gone winless, recording three losses and three draws.
Over this time, they’ve scored eight and conceded 12.
The last time New York City has recorded a win against the Crew was on May 14, 2022, in a 2-0 win.
New York City FC has outscored the Crew in three 15-minute intervals: 6-3 in the 1st–15th minute, 6-0 in the 31st–45th minute (including stoppage time), and 12-11 in the 76th–90th minute (including stoppage time).
The 76th–90th minute is New York City’s highest-scoring interval, with 12 goals, followed by the 46th–60th minute, where they’ve scored eight goals.
In the first half, New York City FC has scored 15 goals and conceded 10 against the Crew.
In the second half, New York City FC has scored 26 goals and conceded 30 against Columbus.
