New York City FC just pulled out an improbable and impressive away win, trading goals back-and-forth and ultimately beating FC Dallas 4-3 at Toyota Stadium on Matchday 24.
This was New York City's third away win of the season and it closed out their season-long four-match road trip in emphatic fashion, with NYCFC going unbeaten (2W-1D-0L) in the three matches played after they lost at Charlotte FC to kick off their extended road swing.
Jonny Shore scored his first-career MLS goal and Maxi Moralez added two important assists in another influential performance from the ageless 38-year-old, yet they each took a slight backseat to other teammates who had major impacts on this win – namely Alonso Martínez and Designated Player debutante Nico Fernández.
There was much to unpack from this hectic 4-3 win, so below are 4 Thoughts on what went down deep in the heart of Texas on a hot Friday night.
Hudson River Blue Staff
1. Alonso's eruption
Alonso Martínez entered this game in Dallas leading all MLS players in expected goals per 90 minutes and was third in overall expected goals this season, so his nine goals scored felt like a slightly disappointing number. He'd left scoring chances on the table despite getting into all the right spots and having the opportunities come his way to rack up those lofty xG figures.
In Dallas, the ruthless finisher many had grown accustomed to seeing last season and at other times earlier in this season was back with a vengeance. Perhaps the goal that won the game in Orlando settled Martínez and set him up for another scoring binge. He'd not been getting his goals regularly in the time directly before and after his stint playing the Concacaf Gold Cup with Costa Rica, but he went off in dramatic fashion against Dallas.
This was Martínez's first multi-goal game of the 2025 season to bring him up to 12 total, re-establishing the Costa Rican as the team's leading scorer after Hannes Wolf had drawn level with Martínez during his own hot goal-scoring spell. NYCFC had been missing this kind of goals-in-bunches outburst from Martínez after growing accustomed to it last season, when he had four multi-goal games. Alonso chose a valuable time to get back to being unplayable.
2. Nico's debut
Couldn't make much better of a first impression with New York City FC if you're Nico Fernández outside of maybe adding a goal to the match-winning assist he picked up. He had chances to score that goal, too, as he attempted two shots and had one blocked.
For a first look, the new Designated Player attacker lived up to the advanced billing. Fernández's assist to Martínez was a perfectly-timed pass that broke the Dallas defensive line and sent Martínez in alone on Maarten Paes, who he dribbled past before burying his match-winner and hat trick clincher. Fernández completed 12 of his 13 attempted passes, completed three passes into the final third, and also successfully completed two dribbles – he did a little bit of everything after he came on to replace Hannes Wolf in the 61st minute.
Still remains to be seen just how Pascal Jansen will use him on a regular basis. In this game, Fernández was over on the right-wing while Agustín Ojeda played on the left, with Maxi Moralez still out there as the central midfielder pulling the strings. In just this brief first cameo, Nico showed he can play some Maxi-like passes to set up his teammates for goals, so it's enticing to wonder what he'll bring to the NYCFC attack as he builds familiarity and gets more minutes under his belt.
John Baney
3. Big questions at the back remain
Thiago Martins is down recovering from knee surgery, Birk Risa is gone, and reinforcements, though expected, are yet to arrive. The New York City defense, an area of strength all season long, entered this game against Dallas with uncertainty at the back and this performance did nothing to quiet down the questions.
Mitja Ilenič returned to action after a seemingly transfer-related absence from the lineup, with Pascal Jansen indicating he had "other things on his mind" that kept him from being a part of the squad for the trip to Orlando. He started at right-back, while the team's other regular right-back, Tayvon Gray, got the first crack at replacing Thiago Martins as the team's right-center-back.
That choice from Jansen didn't seem to work out, as Gray looked shaky in his first real minutes this season playing as an out-and-out center-back. He's not new to the position, playing it for years in his time in NYCFC's youth ranks, but it looks like it will take some getting used to for Gray playing alongside Justin Haak as an all-Homegrown central defensive pairing. Ilenič for his part didn't have his strongest night while returning to the fold and to Pascal Jansen's good graces, as the Slovenian got replaced at halftime by Strahinja Tanasijević.
The back line is a work in progress and it might still need a new signing or two to feel settled heading into this season's stretch run – where have you gone, Raul Gustavo, a nation turns its lonely eyes to you?
4. Exclamation-point end to the trip
Four straight away games played in extreme heat and almost all of them on shorter-than-average rest for the players, yet New York City went 2W-1D-1L to capture seven of a possible 12 points during this hectic stretch of July matches.
The road had been a place devoid of joy for NYCFC but the wins in both Orlando and tonight in Dallas were two big steps in the right direction, even if the defensive performance against Dallas left a lot to be desired.
Conceding the goals and the questions along the back line remain concerning in the near-term for New York City, but getting four goals and rallying to win this game, on top of that earlier win in Orlando, should ease much of the tension around NYCFC and their ability to earn results away from home.
A goal-heavy draw with Dallas wouldn't have been a bad result had Martínez not found that late winner in the 84th minute, but the road trip takes on a whole new light thanks to another dramatic late win like this one over FC Dallas. NYCFC's legs had to be tired and the extreme heat the team faced in three straight matches had to take its toll, but they were still in position to beat Dallas late despite the arduous recent schedule. That can only do wonders for the team's confidence heading into this few weeks of red hot Leagues Cup action.
Andrew Leigh
