3 things we learned after NYCFC put on a show in the win against Chicago Fire FC

It was a beautiful summer evening in the Bronx when New York City FC welcomed Chicago Fire FC for the first home game after the World Cup break. The Pigeons wanted to secure their second win in a row after they won the midweek meeting against the Columbus Crew, but they knew the Fire wanted to win desperately as well. But the Bronx team put on a show for the supporters, winning 3-1.

All of the goals came in the first half, with Nicolás Fernández Mercau, Agustín Ojeda, and Malachi Jones all finding the back of the net. They did allow one goal, but for the most part, they kept the Fire quiet in the final third, even when Robert Lewandowski came on at the start of the second half.

In fact, New York City has a high population of those with Polish ancestry, and there are many fans of the Polish national team. There are also those who are just a fan of the player. Hence, more people came out for the match on Friday to see the star striker. Still, the majority of the fans were NYCFC supporters, and even some who support the Boys in Blue wanted to see Lewandowski, too.

With over 27,000 in attendance, the match was definitely one of the better ones this season. Therefore, here are three things we learned from NYCFC’s win over Chicago.

NYCFC’s unbeaten streak continues

Unquestionably, the Fire is having one of the best seasons that the team has had in a long time. They have struggled immensely in Major League Soccer, but Gregg Berhalter is turning that around. Plus, the club is truly investing in some talented players, as seen by their signing of one of the best strikers in the world.

Alas, NYCFC has historically been the stronger team since they joined the league in 2015, and they have only lost four times to Chicago. Moreover, this win has actually extended an unbeaten streak against the visitors, improving to ten matches after this win. Since 2021, they have now won seven times and shared the points in the other three fixtures.

It is always good to have a solid record against another team, and hopefully, that will continue. But again, Chicago is getting better and better, and perhaps even next time, they will find a way to beat the Boys in Blue.

An abundance of midfielders

NYCFC is very fortunate that they have an abundance of midfielders. This is especially true for the defensive and central midfielders and those who can slot into multiple positions. The team might be without Aiden O’Neill, Keaton Parks, and Kai Trewin, but the way Andrés Perea and Jonathan Shore have played over these last two games highlights how talented everyone can be.

Plus, James Sands would normally play that position, but he had to play as a center-back due to injuries to the backline and a slight lack of depth. Hence, that is one position NYCFC does not have to worry about.

But Perea and Shore truly deserve their flowers. After all, Perea had an assist on one goal and was a part of the lead-up on another. And Shore has just been doing his job, and mostly doing it well. The abundance of talent in the midfield will ideally spread into the backline.

Malachi Jones has finally scored for NYCFC again

All three of the goals scored were absolutely incredible. But there was one that meant more than the world. Jones scored NYCFC’s third and final goal, and the happiness and joy on his face and his teammates’ faces said it all.

As fans will recall, the winger suffered an awful leg injury back in 2024 and had multiple setbacks in his recovery. He finally made his return this season, and he has already taken over Hannes Wolf’s spot. Jones has played well, and between the Columbus game and Saturday night, he has been superb since the MLS season resumed.

When provided with the perfect chance, Ojeda’s selflessness to pass the ball to him allowed him to finally score. This was his first goal since the injury, and the celebration was like no other. Even Matt Freese ran up the pitch to lift Jones in celebration.

There were a lot of great moments during the game. But seeing Jones score for NYCFC was truly the best one of them all.

Add us as a preferred source on Google