New York City FC 0 - 3 Houston Dynamo FC 2025 MLS Regular Season - Matchday 16 Date: Wednesday, May 28, 2025 | Kickoff: 7:40pm ET Location: Yankee Stadium | The Bronx, NY Attendance: 17,070
New York City FC fell 3-0 to the Houston Dynamo on a rainy Wednesday in the Bronx. Despite early chances and late pressure, City couldn’t break through. An own goal by Justin Haak gave Houston an early lead, before a second-half brace from Gabriel Segal secured the result, ending City’s bid for a third straight win.
UP NEXT: The ‘Boys in Blue’ hit the road to face Nashville SC at GEODIS Park on Saturday, May 31, at 4:30pm ET. | Apple TV: MLS Season Pass | Radio (English/Spanish) newyorkcityfc.com/radio
New York City FC held more possession than their opponent for the tenth time in MLS play this season.
Over six matches against Houston Dynamo FC, New York City’s record stands at 2-3-2 (W-L-D). New York City FC has scored eight goals and conceded 11 over six matches.
For home matches in this series, the team’s record is 1-1-2.
The Club has played three matches at Yankee Stadium, and one at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT after a game previously scheduled for play in the Bronx had to be moved.
New York City has scored five goals but conceded six at home against the Houston Dynamo.
This is the second time in a row in the series where New York City has been held scoreless against Houston.
The last time these two opponents squared off, Houston hosted New York City and defeated the visitors 1-0 off a PK scored by Midfielder Amine Bassi.
The last time New York City FC left a match without recording a goal was Matchday 13, when the Club was held to a scoreless draw on the road against D.C. United.
The last time the team was held scoreless at home was the game prior, on Matchday 12 against CF Montréal at Yankee Stadium, where New York City fell to their opponent one to nil.
Since 2015, New York City FC has played teams from the Western Conference a total of 80 times, for a record of 33-28-19. Of those 80 matches, New York City has scored 124 times while conceding 104.
For games played at home against Western Conference teams, the Club’s record is 20-11-9. The team has scored 79 goals and conceded 49.
Midfielders Maxi Moralez and Justin Haak, along with goalkeeper Matt Freese, extended their streak of starting every match for New York City FC this season in MLS play.
Midfielders Hannes Wolf and Justin Haak, along with forwards Agustín Ojeda and Julián Fernández, have appeared in every match across all competitions for New York City FC this season.
NEW YORK CITY FC COACH PASCAL JANSEN
On the atmosphere in the locker room following today’s results... “Obviously it was very quiet in the dressing room. Everybody understands that it was a very poor performance from us tonight. So, I said to [the team] that it wasn’t a lack of effort—they were trying. You can’t take that away from them. That’s also one of the things we said to each other going into this project: if we do drop points, it can never be because we’re not working hard enough as a team. That wasn’t the case. The quality was missing today. So, I just addressed that—that the quality wasn’t there. And like usual, 24 hours after a positive or a negative result is the next step, and all focus is on the next [match].”
On if the weather conditions impacted tonight’s results... "That would be an easy [excuse]—to blame the [weather] conditions. No, no, that's on us. That has nothing to do with the conditions. The level was poor today. We didn't play well. A big compliment also to Houston [Dynamo FC] because they made it really tough on us. They were defending very, very aggressively with a lot of bodies in the middle. We should have played a lot quicker, a lot faster, a lot more aggressively. Going for the attacks...You can see also today we didn’t create anything—nothing at all. So that is not because of the circumstances. That’s because of us.”
NEW YORK CITY FORWARD ALONSO MARTÍNEZ
Reflexiones sobre el rendimiento de esta noche... “Bueno, creo que hoy tuvimos un mal partido. Sabíamos que Houston es un buen equipo. Ahora tenemos que cambiar el chip. Sabemos que viene Nashville este fin de semana y trataremos de ganar ese partido. En partidos así, donde no hay mucha ofensiva, la presión siempre va a estar. Creo que uno tiene que prepararse para este tipo de encuentros, ya sea este u otros. Y bueno, hay que afrontarlos de la mejor manera.”
Thoughts on tonight’s performance... “Well, I think we had a poor game today. We knew Houston is a good team. Now we have to switch our mindset. We know Nashville is coming up this weekend, and we’ll try to win that match. In games like this, where there’s not much attacking play, the pressure is always going to be there. I think you have to prepare yourself for these kinds of matches—this one or any other—and you have to face them in the best way possible.”
NEW YORK CITY FC FORWARD JULIÁN FERNÁNDEZ
Sobre lo que sucedió mal con el equipo... “Nos faltó un poco de ritmo, fuimos un poco lentos. El fútbol tiene estas cosas. Veníamos muy bien y ahora tenemos revancha el sábado [contra Nashville SC], así que tenemos que levantar la cabeza y seguir haciendo lo que veníamos haciendo bien en las últimas dos semanas.”
On what went wrong tonight... We lacked a bit of rhythm; we were a little slow. That’s how football is—these things happen. We had been doing very well, and now we have a chance to bounce back on Saturday [against Nashville SC]. So we have to keep our heads up and continue doing what we’ve been doing well over the past two weeks.
Si este partido corta el buen momento que estaban teniendo... “No, no creo que lo corte. En el fútbol puede pasar, podemos tener un partido malo, pero el equipo está bien, el equipo está fuerte de cabeza. Creo que el sábado lo vamos a demostrar.”
On if the loss will interrupt their momentum... “No, I don’t think it does. In football, this can happen. We can have a bad game, but the team is doing well and is mentally strong. I think we’ll show that on Saturday.”
NEW YORK CITY FC MIDFIELDER JONNY SHORE
On what was missing in tonight’s performance against Houston... “I think we just had to be more clinical in front of goal—create more chances. I thought the effort was there from the team, but we just needed to create more. So, we'll just go back to training and try to improve.”
25’ - HOU - Justin Haak [80] (O.G.)
Scored an own goal from the center of the box.
50’ - HOU - Gabe Segal [17]
Scored with left footed shot from the center of the box with an xG of 97% to the lower right zone.
90+4’ - HOU - Gabe Segal [17]
Scored from a penalty with a right-footed shot to the top left corner.
A wet Wednesday in the Bronx was the setting for New York City FC’s midweek clash with the Houston Dynamo.
City came into the game fresh off back-to-back wins and were keen to make it three in a row as they welcomed Ben Olsen’s side to the Five Boroughs.
Pascal Jansen named an unchanged side from the one that beat Chicago Fire just a few days earlier. That almost paid early dividends when a clever through ball from Maxi Moralez put Alonso Martínez through on goal. Unfortunately, an offside flag halted the play.
Minutes later, Jonathan Shore drove toward the byline and danced along it before firing a low shot that earned City a corner.
At the other end, Nico Lodeiro pounced on a loose ball in the area and fired off a shot that Tayvon Gray did well to block.
However, the hosts would take the lead from the resulting corner after a vicious delivery from Jack McGlynn was inadvertently turned past Matt Freese by Justin Haak.
Martínez tried to find an instant response for City, but he ran out of room after dribbling past the goalkeeper at a narrow angle.
Houston almost made it two just before halftime after Thiago Martins thought he had been fouled by Gabriel. The referee did not agree, giving Segal a 1v1, but Freese stood tall to deny the former New York City FC striker.
Houston defender Felipe Andrade then came close with a header in first-half stoppage time that drifted just wide of the target.
The second half saw no changes for either team, as the rain let up and darkness settled over the stadium. Houston would find a second goal early in the half through Segal, after he slammed home a rebound from close range.
In response, Aidan O’Neill fired off a shot from distance that forced a good save from goalkeeper Jonathan Bond. Hannes Wolf then went close from a free kick not long after.
In the 64th minute, Jansen turned to his bench to introduce four new faces. On came Mounsef Bakrar, Nico Cavallo, Agustín Ojeda, and Máximo Carrizo in place of Haak, Martínez, Wolf, and Moralez.
They were joined on the field by Keaton Parks in the 74th minute, as the midfielder came on to replace Shore. In the 88th minute, captain Thiago Martins rose highest at a corner and powered a header just wide of the near post.
Houston was awarded a penalty in stoppage time after Cavallo was deemed to have committed a foul inside the area. Segal stepped up and converted the spot kick confidently. That was the last act of note on the night, confirming a disappointing 3-0 defeat for City at home.
