Charlotte FC v. New York City FC 2025 MLS Regular Season - Matchday 23 Date: Saturday, July 12, 2025 | Kickoff: 7:40pm ET Location: Bank of America Stadium | Charlotte, NC Television: MLS Season Pass Radio (English/Spanish): New York City FC App | Tune In App newyorkcityfc.com/radio
Looking ahead to our match against Charlotte FC on Saturday, 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
On how to follow up a good result against Toronto FC in Charlotte... “I have been talking with my boys as well [on how to follow up on a good result]. I hope we are at the point where we have learned our lessons throughout the first half of the season. That goes for the away games as well. I told the guys just now, the game that comes to mind is the one away against Atlanta [United FC], where we had 60 minutes of good play, but we still lost that game. That is, in a nutshell, the story of our away games in general, because in the majority we've controlled those games, apart from a few, got close to a good result, but didn't get the result we were looking for at the end. Those things have been reviewed, discussed, and hopefully we'll do better in the second part of the season.”
On what has been attributed to the defensive success this season... “We've experienced that [the defensive success] so far already in the first half of the season. Defensively, we're doing pretty decently, keeping the low numbers in conceding and the XG (expected goals) against. That is something we also work on a lot during our training sessions to make sure that we do this as a team. You see the amount of work that everybody puts into the game, from the attack to the defense, is tremendous. That is the key factor in this whole story. If you want to be successful as a team, you have to defend as a team, nobody excepted. Throughout this process, you also see that the offensive side—going forward, creating chances, and scoring goals—is on an upward trend as well. So, we hope to continue this trend.”
NEW YORK CITY FC DEFENDER KEVIN O'TOOLE
On coming back from injury and scoring a goal... “Being sidelined for whatever reason always gives you a new perspective and a new hunger to reset and just wanting to be out there more than ever. My perspective is always that if I'm not in the starting lineup, I want to come on the field and bring as much energy as I possibly can, especially in that moment in the game [against Toronto FC] where we’d gone up 2-0, then I come on as soon as the goal was conceded and we’re in a 2-1 situation where the momentum can flip in their direction. My way of combating that was to be as positive and attack minded as possible to try to increase the advantage. The play developed from Hannes [Wolf] really well. He poked the ball away, then he and Maxi [Moralez] played a great combination, and I made a run where I'm originally wanting to overlap Maxi and I saw the opening on the inside. Hannes played a great cutback [which is what led to the goal]. So, my preference for being attack-minded and wanting to run and get in the box [is what allowed me to get my goal against Toronto FC].”
Thoughts on Charlotte FC... “It is definitely a tough environment to play in Charlotte, but an exciting one. They always have a great turnout, and that's something that's really exciting for the league when we play in front of those types of fan bases. They come into the matchup on a bit of a down period as a team in terms of their results, and those are sometimes the hardest teams to play against, where their backs are against the proverbial wall and they're looking to dig themselves out of it. We're aware of that, and we're aware of the areas we can try to exploit in their setup, and we'll do the best we can with that.”
LOOKING IN THE REARVIEW MIRROR New York City enters Matchday 23 in the East’s seventh seat, with 31 points gathered and a 9-7-4 (W-L-D) overall record through 20 games played.
With their most recent win against Toronto, New York City has passed the 30-point mark with 31 points on the season through 20 matches.
New York City FC has collected 30 or more points within the first 20 matches in eight seasons (2016 – 30, 8-6-6; 2017 – 34, 10-6-4; 2018 – 40, 12-4-4; 2019 – 35, 9-3-8; 2020 – 30, 9-8-3; 2021 – 34, 10-6-4; 2022 – 38, 11-4-5; 2024 – 32, 10-8-2).
Through their first 20 matches of this year’s MLS Regular Season, New York City FC scored 27 goals and conceded 22, averaging 1.35 goals and 1.1 goals conceded per game.
The Club ranks 11th for points per game in MLS with 1.55.
Additionally, New York City FC is tied for ninth in most wins league-wide this season.
New York City is tied with Vancouver Whitecaps FC for the second least number of goals conceded in the league, as both teams have 22 through 20 games played.
Only the Philadelphia Union is ahead of New York City and Vancouver, with 21 goals conceded through 21 games played.
New York City FC has the most home wins so far this season with eight.
The Club’s home record is 8-3-0.
They are also the only team to not record a tie at home this season thus far.
For New York City, 24 of a possible 33 points at home have been captured in 2025.
77.4% of the Club’s points in the season overall were due to positive results in home matches.
New York City FC is set to play four consecutive road matches in the MLS Regular Season. Their most recent stretch since was from July 6 to July 20, 2024, when the team had a record of 0W-1L-3D.
So far this season, New York City FC has faced eight opponents who were ranked above them in the MLS standings at the time of the match, and 11 opponents who were ranked below them. Their opening match against Inter Miami CF is not included, as neither team held a higher position in the standings at that point.
Against opponents ranked above them in the MLS standings while entering the match, New York City FC holds a record of 4-2-2. They’ve scored nine goals, conceded six, and recorded four clean sheets.
Against opponents ranked below them in Major League Soccer’s standings while entering the match, New York City FC holds a record of 5-5-1. The Club has scored 16 goals against these opponents, conceded 14, and recorded three clean sheets.
Forward Hannes Wolf currently leads the team in scoring, with nine goals through 20 games played.
The most goals scored by a New York City FC player through the team’s first 20 matches of a season is 13, a mark achieved by Valentín Castellanos in 2022 and David Villa in 2017.
Hannes Wolf ranks sixth all-time with nine goals, while Alonso Martínez is tied for eighth with eight goals (Castellanos 13 in 2022, David Villa 13 in 2017, Villa 12 in 2016, Castellanos 10 in 2021, Villa 10 in 2015, Wolf 9 in 2025, Heber 9 in 2019, Martínez 8 in 2025, Santiago Rodríguez 8 in 2024, Ismael Tajouri-Shradi 8 in 2018, Villa 8 in 2018, and Jack Harrison 8 in 2017).
Additionally, Wolf is tied for the eighth-most goal contributions (goals + assists) through the first 20 matches of a season in club history with 13 (Villa 20 in 2017, Maxi Moralez 19 in 2019, Moralez 17 in 2018, Castellanos 16 in 2021, Rodríguez 15 in 2024, Castellanos 14 in 2022, Harrison 14 in 2017, Wolf 13 in 2025, Magno 13 in 2022, Villa 13 in 2016, and Villa 13 in 2015).
Wolf is tied for second in the league to have three multi goal games, alongside Minnesota United FC Forward Tanitoluwa Oluwaseyi and Vancouver Whitecaps Forward Brain White.
Similarly, for specifically the Club, Wolf is tied for the fourth most multigoal games all time.
With a minimum of five goals scored, Wolf and Martinez’s goals per game average are the 10th and 11th highest recorded in Club history in a single season.
Wolf has recorded 0.45 goals per game through 20 games played, while Martinez has a slightly higher 0.47 goals per game through 17 games played.
Wolf’s current goal scoring percentage of 22.50% is the seventh highest in Club history in a single season.
With a minimum of 30 saves made, Goalkeeper Matt Freese has the highest save percentage in Club history in a single season with 76.71%.
Against Toronto FC, Midfielder Aiden O'Neill played his fourth full 90 match since joining New York City and recorded his first goal contribution in the process with an assist.
O'Neill was credited with a second assist on New York City’s second goal, which was scored by Defender Mitja Ilenič.
Goalkeeper Tomás Romero played his third straight game starting for the Club with a record of 1-1-1.
Over those three matches, he conceded two goals and maintained one clean sheet.
In his first three matches with New York City FC, Sean Johnson recorded one clean sheet, conceded two goals, and posted a 1-1-1 record.
Josh Saunders kept two clean sheets, conceded one goal, and registered a 1-0-2 record.
Brad Stuver had no clean sheets, conceded six goals, and held a 2-0-1 record.
Eirik Johansen recorded no clean sheets, conceded five goals, and finished with a 2-1-0 record.
Matt Freese registered one clean sheet, allowed four goals, and posted a 1-1-1 record.
Luis Barraza collected one clean sheet, conceded four goals, and recorded a 1-2-0 record.
At 24 yrs., 175 days at gametime, Romero became the youngest goalkeeper in Club history to record a shutout when he recorded one against Atlanta United FC at Yankee Stadium on June 12, 2025.
Several players have streaks for consecutively playing matches.
Wolf has played in 54 straight games (02/24/2024 - 07/03/2025).
Moralez has played in 31 straight games (07/17/2024 - 07/03/2025).
Midfielder Justin Haak has played in 24 straight games (09/28/2024 - 07/03/2025).
Forward Julián Fernández has played in 22 straight games (10/06/2024 - 07/03/2025).
Forward Agustín Ojeda has played in 20 straight games (02/22/2025 - 07/03/2025).
Similarly, two players have streaks for starting matches.
Moralez has started 25 straight games (09/21/2024 - 07/03/2025).
Haak has started 24 straight games (09/28/2024 - 07/03/2025).
SWEEP TO VICTORY With the 3-1 win over Toronto FC in Matchday 22, New York City FC completed their first sweep of a fellow Major League Soccer team of the season by winning both games against them this year.
There have been 17 such instances in Club history, where New York City recorded a minimum of two wins against a single team in an overall season.
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, and 2024.
The first sweep in Club history occurred against the Philadelphia Union during the 2017 Regular Season, where New York City recorded two wins against their Eastern Conference foe.
New York City scored two goals in each match to get to the first ever sweep in Club history.
The first was a 2-0 victory away at Subaru Park, with the second being a 2-1 win at Yankee Stadium.
The most recent sweep was against the aforementioned Toronto.
The first win was at BMO Field, where a slim 0-1 victory helped New York City gain the first out of two victories against Toronto.
The second was at Yankee Stadium, where New York City scored three but conceded one to win the match and officially sweep Toronto.
The 2020 and 2024 MLS Regular Seasons are tied for having the most sweeps by New York City, as the Club completed three in each.
In 2020, the Club won twice against Chicago Fire FC, FC Cincinnati, Inter Miami CF
In 2024, the team won twice against the New England Revolution, the New York Red Bulls, and Toronto.
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), and the New York Red Bulls (2).
Lastly, the three teams New York City has only recorded a singular sweep against are Orlando City SC (1), New England (1), and CF Montréal (1).
As for consecutive sweeps, it has been done three times by the Club.
First was against Cincinnati, as New York City won six consecutive regular season matches against their fellow Eastern Conference team in the years 2019, 2020, and 2021.
Second was against Inter Miami, where New York City won four straight games in 2020 and 2021.
Third was the most recent of the batch, as New York City has won the last four regular season matches against Toronto in the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
While the Orlando sweep was in 2018, they are the only team that New York City recorded three consecutive wins against in a single regular season.
New York City did not concede a single goal against Orlando in 2018, recording three straight shutouts against the team.
As for the offense, New York City scored seven goals over three games against Orlando for a goals scored average of 2.33.
The most goals scored in a single series by New York City was against FC Cincinnati in 2019, where the Club recorded nine goals with three conceded.
In several other series, New York City scored five or more.
The Club scored seven against Orlando (2018), Chicago (2020), Cincinnati (2021), and the New York Red Bulls (2024).
New York City scored six against Philadelphia (2019) and Cincinnati (2020).
Finally, the team scored five against Toronto (2018), Miami (2021), and Toronto (2024).
New York City has completed five sweeps where all the matches were shutouts.
The first was against Orlando in 2017, where New York City scored seven and conceded zero goals.
The next four were consecutive sweeps with shutouts from the years 2020 to 2024, recorded against four different teams (Chicago, New York Red Bulls, Montreal, and New England).
Series that are on a sweep watch for this season are Orlando (New York City won 2-1 in March), Philadelphia (the team won 1-0 in April), Cincinnati (New York City won 1-0 in May), New York Red Bulls (the team won 2-0 in May), and Chicago (New York City won 3-1 in May).
New York City has their second game against all these teams later in the season.
Additionally, Charlotte FC is a team that New York City has yet to play this season and could potentially be a series to watch for in this category.
12 players have scored in games that helped New York City achieve a sweep over a team: Maxi Moralez (7), Alonso Martínez (3), Keaton Parks (3), Hannes Wolf (2), Forward Kevin O’Toole (2), Midfielder Andrés Perea (2), Forward Mounsef Bakrar (2), Mitja Ilenič (1), Agustín Ojeda (1), Forward Malachi Jones (1), Defender Tayvon Gray (1), and Julián Fernández (1).
12 players have assisted: Moralez (20), Wolf (4), Parks (4), Gray (3), Ojeda (2), O’Toole (1), Aiden O'Neill (1), Jones (1), Ilenič (1), and Fernández (1), Defender Thiago Martins (1), Defender Birk Risa (1).
In total, players on the active roster have contributed to a total of 26 goals in sweeps and 40 assists.
CITY COUNTER THE CROWN New York City FC travels to Charlotte, North Carolina for the seventh overall series meeting between the Club and Charlotte FC.
Six prior matches have already been played in this series, with Charlotte having the overall edge over the Club.
New York City’s record stands at 1-4-1 (W-L-D) through six meetings with Charlotte.
The Club’s road record against this weekend’s opponent is 0-3-0 while the home record against them is 1-1-1.
The only instances where New York City gathered points in the series occurred at home.
The series was tied at Citi Field in July 2023, when a late goal by Defender Braian Cufré in the 81st minute canceled out an earlier strike by Charlotte Forward McKinze Gaines, securing a 1-1 draw and earning New York City FC its first points in the series.
New York City FC earned its first win in the series in the most recent meeting between the two teams, a 2-1 victory at Yankee Stadium in April 2024. Goals from Forward Alonso Martínez and Midfielder Keaton Parks overturned an early third-minute strike by Charlotte’s Forward Kerwin Vargas.
In both matches where the team gained points over Charlotte, New York City conceded early goals before the 20th minute of play but overcame them later in the match.
Of the current squad, only two players have scored goals against Charlotte: Martínez (1G) and Parks (1G).
Three players have recorded assists: Forward Julián Fernández (1A), Keaton Parks (1A), and Defender Thiago Martins (1A).
In the series overall, New York City FC has scored six goals and conceded 10.
Two goals were scored on the road, while five were conceded.
Four goals were scored at home, while five were also conceded there.
For goals scored in 15-minute intervals, the team scored no goals in the 1st-15th minutes, one goal in the 16th-30th minutes, two goals in the 31st-45th, one goal in the 46th-60th minutes, no goals in the 61st-75th minutes and two goals in the 76th-90th minutes.
As for goals scored and conceded over the two halves, New York City scored three goals and conceded seven in the first half of matches played against Charlotte. For the second half, New York City scored three goals and conceded three.
Goalkeeper Matt Freese played two games against Charlotte.
Over those two matches, he has recorded 180 minutes, 11 shots faced, nine saves, conceded two goals, and has an average of 1.00 goals allowed per game.
