New York City rallies past Chicago Fire, bags second straight win

New York City FC logged a second win on the bounce on Sunday afternoon, dispatching Chicago Fire 3-1 at Yankee Stadium. Despite NYCFC controlling the flow of the game from the opening kickoff, the Fire took the lead early. But three second-half strikes for the home team – and two red cards for the visitors – ensured that New York City ended the day with all three points.

Mounsef Bakrar and Hannes Wolf both broke their goal droughts to equalize and take the lead, much to the delight of the 18,000 supporters in attendance in the Boogie Down Bronx. Then Alonso Martínez bagged his eighth goal of the MLS season with a late penalty to seal the win.

Defense holds firm after slow start

Coming off an impressive clean sheet against the rival Red Bulls last week, the New York City backline faced another difficult test Sunday afternoon in the Big Apple. Chicago Fire came into Yankee Stadium with 13 goals scored in the last four games, with five players who had four or more goal contributions this season.

But on Sunday, the Fire scored just once. Philip Zickernagel scored his fifth of the season when with his 19th-minute strike against the run of play.

After the Danish winger's first-time gave Chicago the lead, the NYC backline hunkered down. New York City's starting defensive line of Tayvon Gray, Justin Haak, Thiago Martins, and Birk Risa, limited the Fire to just eight shots and three on target all afternoon. The four combined for an average match rating of 7.85, according to FotMob.

This is particularly impressive considering Gray, Haak, and Thiago Martins all received yellow cards throughout the testy affair. The two sides combined for 31 fouls, six yellows, and two reds across the 90 minutes.

Haak was a rock in the defense, winning 100% of his tackles, making seven clearances and 13 defensive actions overall, while only being dribbled past once. He also played an advanced role, joining the midfield in attacking phases, and provided the assist for Bakrar's equalizer early in the second half. It was another standout performance from the versatile American, who continues to prove himself to be a valuable everyday starter this Major League Soccer season.

Thiago Martins and Risa put on strong displays as well, with the former completing the most passes (80) and tackles (3) of all players to feature on Sunday. And Risa, operating as a left back for the third consecutive match, provided the link between defense and attack, playing 11 passes into the final third. He even took a shot on goal, testing the keeper with a venomous strike from 30 yards out that forced a big save from Chicago's Chris Brady.

While the start of May saw New York City lose to second-division Pittsburgh Riverhounds and conference-worst CF Montréal, the wins in these past two matches prove that New York City can compete with the league elite. Even with left-back Kevin O'Toole out with a leg injury until June, the stability and versatility of the defensive options continue to be a bright spot in head coach head coach Pascal Jansen's squad.

NYCFC 3-1 Chicago Fire: 4 Thoughts

Mounsef Bakrar ends his scoring drought, and New York City FC log their second consecutive multi-goal win against a Chicago reduced to 9 players by the final whistle.

Hudson River BlueMatthew Mangam

Attack finally kicks into gear

While the defense continues to shine, consistency going forward has been one of the major pitfalls for New York City in 2025, but with two multi-goal wins in a row, it seems the Boys in Blue are finally starting to turn a corner as we approach the summer.

It took the NYCFC forward line a while to grow into the game, squandering quite a few chances during the first 45 minutes. But following the straight red card shown to Chicago's Brian Gutiérrez for an elbow to the face of NYCFC midfielder Aiden O'Neill in the 31st minute, the onus was on the hosts to keep pushing forward in search of an equalizer.

Sunday saw three different goal scorers find the back of the net for New York City FC for the first time since October 2024. First, it was Mounsef Bakrar, who came on as a substitute following the halftime interval. Then, it was Hannes Wolf's turn to snap his goal drought. Finally, it was Alonso Martínez who fired home a late penalty for his second goal in two games.

Bakrar, who hadn't scored a competitive goal since August 2024 before Sunday, bagged the equalizer for the Boys in Blue, tapping in a Haak low-driven cross from close range in the 58th minute. Amazingly, this was just the Algerian's second shot on target all season, after managing just six shots total in his previous 13 MLS appearances this season.

But Bakrar's impact didn't end there, as the Algerian was instrumental in the buildup to Wolf's go-ahead goal later on, tracking back nearly 70 yards to help win the ball back in the NYC defensive third, sparking the counter that led to Wolf's 70th-minute strike.

During his post-game presser, Jansen gave full plaudits to Bakrar for his role in Sunday's victory. "There's one moment that made it very very clear, what our determination was about in the second half, and that's when Mounsef Bakrar, coming on a second striker, and doing the dirty labor he did, trying to prevent them from scoring by intercepting in the box, that shows everything we were about in the second half," Jansen said.

Wolf's curling strike in the 70th minute wasn't a simple finish either. After receiving the ball from a Julian Fernández cross, the Austrian made full use of his skilled footwork by faking out his defender before placing a curling effort past Brady. It was Wolf's first goal in all competitions since scoring a brace in the 4-3 away loss at Atlanta United on March 29.

Just when it seemed that New York City was going to pick up a win without relying on the goalscoring prowess of the club's Costa Rican talisman, Martínez capped off the afternoon by converting from the penalty spot in the 89th minute.

After a lengthy VAR review following a tackle on Agustín Ojeda in the box, referee Rosendo Mendoza awarded the penalty and issued a second yellow to Chicago defender Dje D'Avilla, leaving the Fire to play with nine men for the remaining minute plus stoppage time. Despite Brady getting a strong hand on the ball, Martínez's penalty was too strong to keep out, good for his 8th goal of the season.

Building momentum at a pivotal junction

It's fair to say that nerves were high around New York City at the start of this month after the team took just one point from two winnable matches against Montréal and DC United, and was the only MLS team knocked out of the US Open Cup in the Round of 32.

But last week's 2-0 win over the Red Bulls was a big result in and of itself, reminding players and fans alike that the NYCFC is still a force to be reckoned with in the Eastern Conference. Then this contest vs Gregg Berhalter's potent Chicago provided another big test for the group, one that they passed with (near) flying colors.

The defense once again proved solid, while a diverse crop of forwards finding the back of the net lifted the goalscoring burden off the shoulders of Martinez. Yet, it wasn't a complete performance. The Boys in Blue conceded too early and too easily, then missed countless chances in the first half when up a player.

Even still, Jansen's side prevailed. NYCFC battled back, taking control of the game in the second half and not letting go until the final whistle blew. It was a case study in how to take advantage of mistakes from the opposition while filling some players with much-needed confidence as the MLS calendar heads into June.

With this win New York City climb to 6th Place in the Eastern Conference, the team's highest position this season, with 24 points after 15 games. It puts them just three points off a Top 4 spot, and six points off conference leaders Philadelphia Union.

Official Highlights | New York City FC 3 – 1 Chicago Fire