What does NYCFC need to do in their final seven games of the 2024 MLS season?

The end of the 2015 season is near for New York City FC. With seven games over about five and a half weeks to go, the Pigeons have a lot of pressure on them. After a decent Leagues Cup run, the team struggled in their return to Major League Soccer. The Boys in Blue shared the points with Chicago Fire FC and lost terribly to the Columbus Crew.

As a result, NYCFC barely sits in fifth place in the Eastern Conference standings. Sixth-place Charlotte FC sits one point behind the team while seventh-place Orlando City SC is two points behind. Then, the New York Red Bulls sits in fourth place with 43 points compared to the real New York side’s 39. Notably, the red team has played one more match than NYCFC.

Still, with fixtures against the Red Bulls, Inter Miami CF, and FC Cincinnati, and even a tough away game against D.C. United, the rest of the schedule is not easy. There are a few matches where they should win on paper. However, as seen in the Chicago games this season, that means nothing.

NYCFC must do well in their final seven matches

Third place or higher seems unlikely due to the ten-point difference between NYCFC and the Crew, but ending in fourth place or fifth could happen. So, what does NYCFC need to do to keep their spot in the Eastern Conference standings or ideally hop over the Red Bulls?

There are many answers to that question. To begin, the Pigeons cannot give up late goals as they did recently against Chicago and Columbus. Also, who can forget the terrible loss to FC Cincinnati in the Leagues Cup? NYCFC was up 2-0 but lost 4-2, giving up the first goal in the 79th minute. These late failures cannot happen during the rest of the season. The defense has to be on point from here on out.

Moreover, if Matt Freese will be out, then Luis Barraza must step up and perform at a higher level. Thus far, his limited performances this year have not been great. Some might argue they lost in Columbus due to his difficulty making saves. He allowed the four goals and made just one save.

Meanwhile, NYCFC cannot fall back into the old ways of barely scoring. Nick Cushing must start the best striker he has right now, Alonso Martínez. He has 11 goals in MLS and 12 in all competitions. Four of the 12 goals have come in the last three matches. The Costa Rican is hot right now, so it would be silly to sit him. He gives the Bronx side a chance to score.

NYCFC also has to treat the seven fixtures as a playoff game. The players should pretend each match is in the postseason and play like they will be eliminated if they do not win. This mindset is vital, and Cushing should stress this.

There is no question the Pigeons have the talent to compete with the stronger teams. NYCFC must do what is listed above. Otherwise, they could fall in the standings. Fourth place is ideal, but they cannot fall beyond fifth.