After a brutal 3-0 loss to Club Puebla to begin Leagues Cup, New York City FC bounced back and defeated Club León 2-0 at Sports Illustrated Stadium on Friday night.
NYCFC earned its third-ever win over a Liga MX side — and first in regulation since defeating the mighty Tigres UANL 2-1 on August 13, 2024, also in Leagues Cup.
Tonight's result is a positive response after the lifeless defeat to Puebla and something New York City can build on in Tuesday's Leagues Cup Phase One finale against Deportivo Toluca at Yankee Stadium — a game that may serve as meaningless given the difficulty of advancing to the quarterfinals of Leagues Cup.
Here are four thoughts on the victory on a cool summer night in Harrison, New Jersey.
Hudson River Blue Staff
1. Alonso Martínez picks up where he left off
After scoring a hat trick in the 4-3 road win over FC Dallas last Friday, head coach Pascal Jansen decided to bench Alonso Martínez and give him some rest against Puebla on Tuesday.
Teenager Seymour Reid got his first career start for NYCFC but had a quiet night, showing his rawness and lack of experience. Martínez came on as a substitute in the 65th minute and brought energy, but he put two shots off target, hit the woodwork, and missed a big chance.
On this night, Martínez returned to the starting lineup and instantly made an impact, opening the scoring in the seventh minute. He got on the end of a flicked-on header from Justin Haak, notching his 13th goal of the season in all competitions to give NYCFC their first Leagues Cup goal.
Alonso Martínez scores his 13th goal of the season in all competitions | Courtesy New York City
2. Agustín Ojeda ends his scoring drought
It was 399 days since Agustín Ojeda last scored for New York City — a late first-half goal in the 4-2 win over Orlando City on June 28, 2024.
The scoring drought, which covered 35 appearances in all competitions, ended on Friday, as the 21-year-old gave NYCFC a 2-0 lead over León in the 32nd minute.
It all started with Nicolás Fernández. The new Designated Player from Elche CF played an outstanding through ball to Martínez, who found Ojeda at the back post for the simple finish that almost went wide, but fortunately rattled off the post and in.
Agustín Ojeda scores his first goal in over a year | Courtesy New York City FC
A lot can be said about New York City's wingers not named Hannes Wolf: Julián Fernández and Ojeda have combined for just three goals, while Wolf has scored nine times, only trailing Martínez's 12 MLS goals.
Wolf has carried the scoring load all season long, while Fernández and Ojeda have consistently disappointed. You'd hope that Ojeda will use the goal on Friday as a springboard to unlock his good run of form and contribute more down the stretch of the season.
3. The battle of the No. 10's
Along with the hype of a doubleheader at Sports Illustrated Stadium on Friday night, another exciting clash emerged between NYCFC's and León's No. 10s.
It was Maxi Moralez, New York City's best playmaker of all-time with a club-record 61 MLS assists and facing off against his former León club, against James Rodríguez, a two-time UEFA Champions League winner with Real Madrid and the Golden Boot winner with Colombia at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Moralez struck first blood in the seventh minute, recording the hockey assist on Martínez's early goal. Off the corner kick, Moralez played an excellent ball to Haak, who flicked a header into the path of Martínez for the simple tap-in.
Rodríguez had a golden opportunity to give his traveling Colombian and Mexican supporters something to cheer about in the 58th minute, but Matt Freese saved his spot kick and once again proved that penalties are his thing.
Matt Freese denies James Rodríguez | Courtesy New York City FC
Rodríguez had a night to forget, while Moralez was key in NYCFC's opening goal and did exactly what you'd expect from the Argentine midfielder, despite being 38 years of age.
4. Defense rebounds after poor showings
It was unexpectedly announced on July 24 that Thiago Martins would undergo knee surgery and miss the next four to six weeks of action. That injury couldn't have come at a worse time, as defender Birk Risa had just transferred back to Molde FK in Norway.
Thiago Martins's absence was felt even in New York City's win over Dallas. Despite scoring four goals, the backline conceded three times and looked sloppy, especially in the first half. NYCFC's defense was just as bad in Tuesday's loss to Puebla, allowing three goals for the second straight game.
Against León, New York City kept their first clean sheet in seven matches. The highly praised backline has been up-and-down this summer, and after a solid performance tonight, it will face another challenging test against high-flying Toluca on Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium.
