NYCFC can have a solid start to the 2026 MLS season by winning these two games

Unless one was not paying attention, Major League Soccer is back! Teams played their first games over the weekend, including New York City FC. The Pigeons opened the 2026 season in California against the LA Galaxy, finishing the match in a 1-1 draw. It was a respectable outcome, but at the same time, it felt like they could have earned three points. The lack of a striker was truly to blame, and there are now more concerns about not having a replacement for Alonso Martínez.

However, it is not out of the realm of possibility that NYCFC can be successful while the club waits for the center-forward that they desperately need. The key is to win at least twice by the end of March.

By then, the Bronx side will have played their first five fixtures of the 2026 campaign. Of course, they already played the first one, and that ended in a draw. Therefore, NYCFC must win two of their next four games. It will not be easy, but the team has the talent to steal wins, even without a star striker.

Winning twice is the key for NYCFC

The goal is to win the two fixtures that the Boys in Blue have the highest chance of winning. When looking at the schedule, the next four opponents include the Philadelphia Union, Orlando City SC, the Colorado Rapids, and Inter Miami CF. Miami is clearly the most difficult team they will face, and based on current rosters, even winning at home seems like an impossible feat. Philadelphia is questionable, for the Bronx side lost on the road there in the regular season but won in the playoffs.

Hence, the two games NYCFC have the highest chance of winning are the Orlando and Colorado ones. The Pigeons will especially want to win against Orlando since that fixture is the home opener. Then, Colorado failed to make the playoffs last year, and it is not expected that they will be a top side in the Western Conference.

Notably, the team does not want to just give up on the other two. However, if NYCFC wins against Orlando and Colorado, and subsequently loses against Philadelphia and Miami, then they will start the year with a 2-2-1 record. A start like that, especially without a reliable scoring center-forward, would be a respectable one. And one cannot forget that NYCFC has had slow starts in some of their seasons. The goal should be to manage the current situation and not fall behind.

But again, there is plenty of talent on the roster, and the Bronx side has won games without Martínez before. In fact, in MLS, including the playoffs, the Pigeons went 3-2-1. This includes the win over Philadelphia in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

NYCFC can aim higher as well. Do not settle for two wins. But two wins would not be the end of the world. It would be easy to accept two wins in the first five fixtures.