Hannes Wolf brace gives New York City hard-earned 2-2 draw in Nashville

New York City FC drew Nashville SC in a four-goal thriller. NYCFC salvaged a point despite being outplayed in the first half after Nashville scored two quality goals, but finished the game 2-2 after a second-half performance fueled by tactical discipline, timely substitutions, and standout performances from Keaton Parks and Hannes Wolf.

Sam Surridge put Nashville up two goals, but Wolf returned the favor by scoring a brace of his own. It was another quiet night from Alonso Martínez, but NYCFC head coach Pascal Jansen made the right decisions off the bench: It was the subs who helped earn the point at GEODIS Park. Keaton Parks came on to notch two assists, while Strahinja Tanasijević's defensive solidity kept Nashville scoreless in the second half.

Unexpected: Hannes and Keaton link up

When Parks came off the bench at the half to replace Aiden O’Neill, it turned out to be another inspired substitution by Jansen. It was a logical move – Parks has been steadily building up his minutes after returning from injury – and once again the midfielder was quietly effective but essential. Parks completed passes with precision, won duels in midfield, and made New York City more dangerous in his 45 minutes on the field.

Most importantly, he racked up two assists. The first took place shortly after he was subbed in. Just nine minutes after entering the game, Parks set up Wolf for New York City’s first goal by progressing the ball into the Nashville penalty box, then laying off a well-placed pass that Wolf buried with a left-footed shot.

Then in the 87th minute, the same duo combined again for the equalizer. If there were any lingering concerns about Park’s injury, he put them to rest and showed why he is so important to the success of this team.

But it was Wolf, though, who was the man of the hour for New York City. The Austrian winger stole the spotlight and buried both goals to help the team claw back from a 2-0 deficit and earn a crucial point on the road.

It was Wolf’s second brace of the season and his sixth goal this year, beating the five goals he scored for NYCFC in 2024. In addition, it was the first time in Keaton's professional career that he assisted two goals in one game.

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Hudson River BlueMatthew Mangam

The subs paid off

In Wednesday's 3-1 loss to Houston, Jansen made the decision to take off five key starters after the team went down 2-0: Maxi Moralez, Hannes Wolf, Alonso Martínez, Justin Haak, and Jonathon Shore all left the game. At the time, it felt like New York City was waving a white flag, but hindsight paints a different picture.

The substitutions were strategic and saved those players for this game, which was played on the road and on short rest. Jansen prioritized freshness for a showdown against a Nashville team that sat in third in the Eastern Conference going into Saturday.

While NYCFC's squad didn't dominate the game, they did just enough to get a point in Nashville. Wolf was one of the players who was pulled in the Houston game, and his efforts earlier today may have made the difference for his team. Things could have gone differently had he played the full 90 minutes against Houston, and he might not have had the energy for his two-goal performance in Nashville.

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New York City FC earned a hard-fought draw against a Nashville SC that doesn’t give up points easily at home.

Hudson River BlueHudson River Blue Staff

Defensive lapses

While NYCFC will celebrate the comeback, Nashville striker Sam Surridge continued his red-hot form on Saturday afternoon, scoring two first-half goals to bring his season total to 11, which puts him second in Major League Soccer.

It wasn't just Surridge who troubled New York City. Nashville’s entire attack fired on all cylinders.

NYCFC's defense couldn't contain Hany Mukhtar, who was able to get past Thiago Martins to assist Surridge's first goal in the 27th minute. Just 14 minutes later, Surridge scored again.

Surridge almost scored in the 62nd minute, but his shot clattered off the post. Mukhtar fired in the rebound, but Freese saved it (or did he?) just before it crossed the line. The game was a fraction of an inch from finishing as a win for Nashville.

The defensive lapses were concerning. New York City gave up just two goals in the first five league games played in May, but then leaked five goals in the last two games. The NYCFC defense will need to be more disciplined if the team is to be a competitive side in their remaining 17 league games.

As it is, New York City enters the season's midway point in 9th Place in the Eastern Conference, with 25 points after 17 games. It's well behind the 29 points the team had after 17 games last year, but comfortably ahead of the 18 points the club had halfway through the 2023 season.

Jansen's squad has promise. Now they have 17 games to prove they can win when it counts most.

Official Highlights | Nashville 2-2 New York City