New York City FC’s lack of depth is hurting the team more than you think.
NYCFC has used 21 different players in the 12 games played so far this season, the second-fewest in Major League Soccer. Only Austin FC and Charlotte FC, which have fielded 20 players each, have played fewer.
New York City is struggling to score goals and win games, but when the squad needs help off the bench, there is no support. Head coach Pascal Jansen has made 50 substitutions this year, but none have scored. That makes NYCFC one of seven teams in MLS without a goal from the bench.
MLS | Goals from Bench by Club
| Club | Goals |
|---|---|
| San Diego | 5 |
| Philadelphia | 4 |
| LAFC | 4 |
| Inter Miami | 3 |
| Cincinnati | 3 |
| Vancouver | 3 |
| Seattle | 3 |
| Chicago | 3 |
| San Jose | 3 |
| Kansas City | 3 |
| LA Galaxy | 3 |
| Red Bulls | 2 |
| Portland | 2 |
| Salt Lake | 2 |
| Houston | 2 |
| Charlotte | 1 |
| Orlando | 1 |
| Colorado | 1 |
| Dallas | 1 |
| DC United | 1 |
| Toronto | 1 |
| St. Louis | 1 |
| Atlanta | 1 |
| New York City FC | 0 |
| Columbus | 0 |
| Minnesota | 0 |
| Austin | 0 |
| Nashville | 0 |
| New England | 0 |
| CF Montréal | 0 |
*Through Matchday 12
Compare that to FC Cincinnati, which has three goals from the bench — every one of them a game-winner. Cincy is back on top of the Eastern Conference table with 25 points, and nine of those can be credited to subs. Or Philadelphia Union, which saw Mikael Uhre come on in the 74' and score the 84' game-winner over CF Montréal. Or the Seattle Sounders, whose bench won their match against LAFC.
NYCFC could use some help from their bench. The team has come back to win from a losing position only once, when New York City beat New England Revolution 2-1 on March 15. In that case, New England's early lead came from a Thiago Martins own goal, and New York City's starters saved the day.
In the team's one non-league game, Jansen brought on four players in New York City's US Open Cup loss to Pittsburgh Riverhounds last week, including winger Julián Fernández and NYCFC II striker Seymour Reid, but they failed to have an impact. Riverhounds head coach Bob Lilley brought on five players including Beto Ydrach, who scored the game-winner in the 96th minute.
John Baney
Pascal Jansen: "The outcome is too low"
Hudson River Blue’s Andrew Leigh asked Jansen if this lack of production from the bench makes him reevaluate some of the subs he makes, and what he thinks of this.
#NYCFC is one of seven MLS teams that has 0 goals from substitutes this season. The team has trailed seven times and only came back to win once, which begs the question: are these players capable of making a difference when called upon? Here's what Pascal Jansen had to say: pic.twitter.com/QFV9wr1Ie0
— Matthew Mangam (@MatthewMangam) May 13, 2025
“We obviously have our roster with players that start and players that have to come off the bench," Jansen said. “The guys who can have some attacking involvement or even a game changer in their toolbox, we do have them. Unfortunately, when they've come up on the pitch so far, it hasn't given us that satisfaction of the goals that we need in certain matches. So that is something that we still address. On the other hand, we know which type of players we have coming from the bench and what they're able to add to the game and what is needed. But unfortunately, the outcome is too low at the moment."
Offensive substitutes are misfiring
Jansen has relied on three players the most to come off the bench and provide an offensive spark when needed: Fernández, Agustín Ojeda, and Mounsef Bakrar. Ojeda and Fernández have rotated as the starting winger, as Jansen has subbed on one for the other seven times this season.
Fernández has two goals this season, the third-most on the team, but they came in two of the seven games he started. In his five substitute appearances, Fernández attempted just three shots (none of which were on target), created five shot-creating actions, and totaled six touches in the opponent’s box.
Ojeda has yet to score this season. His potential is readily apparent, but his lack of production makes him the most disappointing of the wingers, with his last goal contribution coming in the 4-2 win over Orlando City last season on June 28, 2024, when he scored deep in stoppage time of the first half.
This season, he appeared in all 12 games, with eight appearances coming off the bench. As a substitute, he attempted six shots (none on target), created eight shot-creating actions, and totaled nine touches in the opponent’s box.
Bakrar also has yet to score this season. His last goal came on August 31, 2024, in a 4-2 loss to Columbus. Jansen tried to play the Bakrar alongside Martínez twice this season, but nothing came of it. Bakrar’s only other start came in the scoreless tie with Columbus, filling in for Martínez when the Costa Rican was away on international duty.
In Bakrar’s nine appearances off the bench, he put one of his five shots on target, created six shot-creating actions, and recorded 12 touches in the opponent’s penalty box, the most out of the trio.
The problem with Ojeda and Fernández is that they’re not taking enough shots, and when they do strike the ball, they don't put it on target. As for Bakrar, he can't get in the right positions — something Martínez does so well.
We saw this in the defeat to CF Montréal last weekend, when NYCFC went down early in the second half. Jansen tried to jump-start the attack by bringing on Bakrar, Ojeda, and Hannes Wolf, but the three combined for just one shot, from Bakrar, and it was off-target.
Oliver Strand
No easy answers
This begs the question: Are players like Fernández, Ojeda, and Bakrar the answer? These young wingers that were brought in for hefty price tags were supposed to develop and bring offensive firepower, but we've only seen that in small spurts.
Fernández only scores when he starts, Ojeda has taken a step back this season, and Bakrar has been in a slump since the start of last season. As Jansen has preached time and time again, the scoring can't always fall on Martínez, but when he's not living up to his El Clínico nickname — as seen in the past two games — there is not another player who can step up and consistently score.
You could argue that the 21-year-old Fernández and the 20-year-old Ojeda still need time to develop. Jansen has experience developing youth talent, so it's highly possible that he can unlock the full potential in Fernández and Ojeda.
But the 24-year-old Bakrar should be entering the prime of his career. The Algerian striker has appeared in all 12 games this season, and he's not taking advantage of the opportunities given to him. With Martínez established as the team's clear-cut striker, Bakrar will need to learn how to score from the bench if he's going to contribute to this squad.
Hudson River Blue Staff
