NYCFC beats Santos Laguna to earn their first win in the 2026 Leagues Cup

On Thursday, New York City FC played the first match of their 2026 Leagues Cup journey. The Pigeons faced Club Santos Laguna, S.A. de C.V. in the first match of Phase One. On paper, this was considered the least difficult game, but after the draw with Toronto FC, clearly that does not matter.

Thankfully, NYCFC won 2-0 against Santos Laguna. A mix of incredible goals and brilliant defensive work helped the Pigeons get their first win and three points.

Pascal Jansen had slight rotation based on who had been starting since the season resumed after the World Cup.  Moreover, Kevin O’Toole was officially back after missing time due to injury.  He played in the defensive midfield rather than the backline before being taken off at halftime.  Max Murray also got a rare start in the absence of the captain, Thiago Martins, partnering with James Sands.

Regardless of the changes, NYCFC was arguably strong in their play.  They needed that scoring prowess, which they had in the Starting XI.  Nevertheless, it took until the second half for the Pigeons to find the back of the net, and from some unlikely players, too.

Defense wins NYCFC the game against Santos Laguna

From the start, it was clear that Sands was the leader in the backline, controlling the play there.  His defensive work enabled the Pigeons to constantly win the ball back when it was lost.  Plus, by his movement, it was easy to see that he was directing his fellow defenders.

That defensive work led to several chances in the attack.  NYCFC had multiple attacking sequences, but it took 20 minutes for the Boys in Blue to get their first couple of shots.  That was a little concerning since they were playing well, but the clinical aspect of the final third was not there.

Then, NYCFC did not get their first shot on goal until the 38th minute.  That was a kick by Agustín Ojeda, who forced a save by Santos’ goalkeeper, Carlos Acevedo.  Still, even that shot was just okay.

But as the first 45 minutes went by, it felt like the Liga MX side had moments of solid play, where the right opportunity could lead to a goal. That goal almost came to fruition.

In the 43rd minute, Santos was awarded a free kick from right outside the box.  Diego González took the kick and sent the ball right through the wall.  Matt Freese thankfully guessed correctly, jumping to his left with the speed of a cheetah to make the save.

Obviously, despite the Mexican team’s struggles, they can be a threat.  So, NYCFC needed to be at their best.  Moreover, Jansen made some changes for the second half, bringing on Luighi, Nicolás Fernández Mercau, and Hannes Wolf.  Of course, Luighi made his debut for the club.

As such, that clinical finish showed up.  In the 50th minute, Ojeda’s failed shot led the ball to Tayvon Gray.  The right-back is obviously not one’s typical scorer, but on Thursday, he pretended to be a striker.  His thrilling shot led the ball to bounce off the top post and into the goal. 

Santos also continued to be better than they were during the first part of the first half.  They continued to threaten the Pigeons, and truth be told, while the home side was better in the attack, the trade was the growth of the visitors’ play. 

But somehow, the defenders kept scoring.  Nico Cavallo was involved in the lead-up to the second goal in the 66th minute, but once he gave up the ball, he made a beautiful run toward the goal.  Andrés Perea’s through-pass allowed the left-back to head straight on at Acevedo.  With ease, he put the ball into the back of the net.

That was Cavallo’s first-ever goal for NYCFC, and that was a great way to score it.  But Santos Laguna still were not out of the match.  In fact, in the 79th minute, Freese was forced to put his body on the line, making a triple save.  The backline broke down there, but thankfully, the goalkeeper did what he had to do, likely getting a black eye in the process.  Plus, those saves kept the two-goal lead and led to the guaranteed win.

It is interesting that in the end, the defense is the entire reason why NYCFC won.  The backline mostly did their job, and when they did not, Freese and his six saves saved the day.  One cannot forget about Sands, either, for he was lights out the entire game, constantly blocking, intervening, and clearing the ball.

More importantly, two defenders scored.  Of course, those offensive halftime changes made the difference, but probably not many would have thought that Gray and Cavallo would score, let alone both of them.

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