Nicolás Fernández Mercau and Talles Magno lead NYCFC to a win over Colorado

New York City FC was unbeaten in the 2026 Major League Soccer season as the team entered the weekend, seeking to extend the streak to four matches. To do that, they had to beat the Colorado Rapids, whom they had lost to in the previous meeting in 2024. While the 3-1-3 record was still on their side, the Pigeons knew they had to be strong at home again to ensure three points. When the final whistle blew, the result was another good one, for NYCFC won 3-1.

After the big win against Orlando City SC last week, Head Coach Pascal Jansen opted to go with the same lineup as last time.  The players scored five goals, so the hope was that the offensive magic would continue.  Plus, Colorado’s starting goalkeeper, Zack Steffen, was out due to a shoulder injury, and Nicholas Defreitas-Hansen, also known as Nico Hansen, was between the sticks instead.

Colorado was undoubtedly a much tougher opponent.  NYCFC clearly did not dominate as they did against Orlando, but they did enough in the attack since they scored three times. Plus, the players have highlighted that they can score when they have most of the possession and when they do not. In this case, Colorado had the edge in possession throughout the 90 minutes.

This was also a critical win since Inter Miami CF is coming to town next week.  Anything can happen, but based on recent games, the Florida team has dominated the one from the Big Apple.  Therefore, this win means that NYCFC continues to be unbeaten after four matches.

NYCFC wins again and stays unbeaten

This matchup was arguably more even compared to the domination by NYCFC last weekend.  There was plenty of running back and forth between both sides of the pitch, and the two teams were playing like they had too many energy drinks to start the fixture. 

The one thing about the Rapids was that they were giving away the ball a little too often.  The Pigeons recognized this, and everyone pressured the opposing players when they could.  So, in the 22nd minute, NYCFC took advantage.

A giveaway in the visitors’ defensive third led to the Boys in Blue regaining possession.  The ball fell to Kai Trewin, who kicked the ball to a running Nicolás Fernández Mercau in the box.  The Argentine took his first shot, but Hansen made the save.  However, the ball fell right back to him, and with ease, Fernández Mercau sent the ball into the goal on the rebound, causing the goalkeeper to fall to the ground.

The Designated Player was not done, though.  In the 45th minute, his fellow Argentine and NYCFC legend, Maxi Moralez, won a free kick outside the right side of the box.  It was not an ideal spot due to the angle, but a good place to put the ball into the box.  But Fernández Mercau had other ideas as he took the free kick.  He shot the ball toward the goal, and it bounced on the ground near the right front post.  Alas, the ball was so close to the post that Hansen could not do anything and watched it go beyond the line.

It was a good thing that the current striker, who is usually at his weakest in the position, scored. Before halftime, Colorado got one back after the NYCFC backline fell apart and Darren Yapi forced the ball beyond Matt Freese.

Regardless, the Rapids continued to have the ball more and remained threatening in the attack.  They struggled to get the ball on target, though, which is partly due to the disrupted defense by the Pigeons.

But NYCFC came out of the locker room a little more slowly.  They had to get back to their level of play from the first half, and eventually had some more solid chances to score a third goal. 

Hannes Wolf had a shot near the corner of the goal, but that was blocked by Hansen, who made himself big to get the stop.  Then, Moralez took a free kick outside of the box that appeared to be dead center, but his forceful shot went right to the keeper.  Also, one cannot forget about the beautiful turn and pass from Talles Magno, who sent the ball to Wolf for another strike.  In the end, it was another easy save.

It was not until the 85th minute that NYCFC found their third goal.  Moralez picked out Magno on the run, and the Brazilian received the ball.  With a few touches, he ran beyond the defenders and slotted the ball home to secure a much-needed three points for the Boys in Blue.  And boy oh boy, the joy of scoring again shimmered off him, and he was brighter than the sun.

The match was not always pretty, and NYCFC was not perfect defensively due to the mistake that led to the Rapids’ goal.  Yet, the players did what they had to do and outscored their opponent. Also, as mentioned, Miami will be in the Big Apple next week, and they are the monster team in the league.  Hence, it will be a huge test.

At the very least, by entering the next game 3-0-1, the team will have a solid start in the first five matches, no matter what happens.  So, NYCFC should celebrate this win, but they must move on quickly.