3 things we learned from NYCFC's self-inflicted loss against RBNY

On Friday night, New York City FC welcomed Red Bull New York to Yankee Stadium for the third Hudson River Derby of the year. The Bronx side won the U.S. Open Cup game, and then the two shared the points in the Major League Soccer meeting at Sports Illustrated Stadium. But could they get the win at home? Unfortunately, despite the desperate need for more points, the answer was no.

NYCFC lost 1-0 to the Red Bulls. Another poor self-inflicted mistake led to the loss, as Julian Hall scored the lone goal in the match. However, it did not help that the Pigeons did not score. A 0-0 draw would have been the better result, but still, even that was not good enough, especially at home.

To make things worse, the Bronx side was the better offensive team. By the end of the derby, they had 18 shots, five on target, and over 60% possession. RBNY had nine shots with one on target. Sadly, that one on target was the difference in the game.

Losing at home was not ideal. But what did we learn from NYCFC’s loss to the Red Bulls?

NYCFC keeps making mistakes

Unless one has been living under a rock and not paying attention to the Pigeons in 2026, then they would not know that too many poor mistakes have been made that have led to goals. As mentioned, NYCFC’s lone mistake led to the lone goal.

James Sands had the ball when Red Bull players pressured him and other defenders. He attempted to pass the ball back to Matt Freese, but the pass was weak and short. This allowed Hall to intercept the ball. At the same time, Freese came off his line and out of the box. With an empty goal, Hall easily put his team up 1-0.

As such, the two veteran players made such a drastic mistake that was self-inflicted. Rather than sharing the points again, they dropped points. These mistakes have been insane and a major theme in why NYCFC has struggled this season. Losing is one thing, but losing when they outplayed the other team? That makes it difficult to accept.

The poor home record continues for NYCFC

Remember the days when Yankee Stadium, and even Citi Field, were fortresses? Remember when the Pigeons used to barely lose at home? Those days seem long gone. Friday night’s loss is now just another example that anyone can beat NYCFC, no matter where they play.

The loss against RBNY means that the Boys in Blue are now 4-6-4 at home in 2026. It is a terrible statistic. From 2016 through 2023, not including the 2020 COVID season, the team had lost anywhere from one to three games at home, with many of those seasons being dominant ones. Even the awful 2023 campaign saw them perform strongly at home.

2024 then saw them lose four times, for they had a 10-4-3 record. But starting last year and now this year, NYCFC has lost six times at home. The difference in 2025, though, was that NYCFC won 11 games. But this year the team has a 4-6-4 record, the worst record since 2015. This is not something that one would have expected with the current roster, even with the injuries.

No matter what happens in the final three home games, though, it is clear that this will be one of those years that fans will like to forget.

Alonso Martínez might make a difference

Alonso Martínez had his second substitute appearance for NYCFC. He made his official return last week and played about 30 minutes on Friday.

During his time on the pitch, it was clear the Costa Rican was being a little careful, which is expected after his ACL tear. At the same time, he had some positive moments, including a decent chance on goal. Without a last-line defensive clearance, the striker might have scored his first goal.

While Martínez will likely not be 100% this year, the glimpses fans saw on Friday provided hope. Perhaps he will make a little bit of a difference for NYCFC.

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