New York City FC tied 1-1 with Sporting Kansas City on a sweaty night at Children's Mercy Park on Saturday night, making it four points over three consecutive road games.
Here are five thoughts from the draw in Kansas City on Saturday night.
Hudson River Blue Staff
1. No Hannes Wolf, no problem?
Heading into Matchday 23, the New York City availability report expectedly featured Keaton Parks and Malachi Jones, both of whom are recovering from leg injuries.
But surprisingly, Hannes Wolf was also listed as out. It's unclear whether Wolf missed the match due to rest, or if he has suffered an injury that might keep him sidelined longer than tonight's match.
Without Wolf, head coach Pascal Jansen deployed Andrés Perea on the left wing, something we've already seen this season. The 24-year-old may not be as threatening as Wolf overall, but he made the most of his opportunity when he scored in the 22nd minute.
Maxi Moralez played a through ball to Perea, who did well to get to the pass first and slot the ball into the bottom left corner past Sporting goalkeeper John Pulskam, who had already made two great saves denying Alonso Martínez and Jonny Shore earlier in the half.
Andrés Perea opens the scoring | Courtesy New York City FC
It was Perea's first goal since he found the back of the net in NYCFC's 5-1 away win over the New York Red Bulls on September 28, 2024. He almost scored in Wednesday's come-from-behind win over Orlando, but Pedro Gallese narrowly saved his header before Kyle Smith deflected the ball into his net.
Hudson River Blue Staff
2. Sporting fights back, NYCFC slows down
Kansas City not only hosted the game at home, but they had a midweek bye that saw the team remain quiet on Wednesday night, when NYCFC were legging out a win in the tropical heat of Orlando. Tonight, the extreme heat and quick turnaround caught up with New York City in the second half.
NYCFC tried to defend its 1-0 lead, but Sporting started to gain momentum. The pressure paid off, as Hungarian winger Dániel Sallói scored the equalizing goal on his birthday in the 74th minute, firing up the crowd at Children's Mercy Park.
Dániel Sallói makes it 1-1 | Courtesy Major League Soccer
Matt Freese saved substitute Santiago Muñoz's shot, but the ball rebounded to Sallói, who volleyed it into the back of the net for his sixth goal of the season.
Despite conceding a goal, Freese made five important saves that helped earn New York City a point.
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3. Mounsef Bakrar absent from squad
When NYCFC faced Charlotte FC on July 12, defender Birk Risa wasn't included in the squad. Just two days later, his highly rumored move back to Norwegian side Molde FK was confirmed by the club.
Tonight, Mounsef Bakrar was absent from New York City's lineup. The Algerian striker is rumored to join Croatian side Dinamo Zagreb, according to Sportske Novosti.
Given that Risa departed NYCFC after his absence against Charlotte, it's highly likely the same will follow suit for Bakrar. The 24-year-old joined New York City in the summer of 2023 and never impressed, scoring 10 goals in 70 appearances.
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4. Young subs look promising
After Sporting scored, Jansen brought on 17-year-old Seymour Reid and 24-year-old Sebastiano Musu. The two brought tons of energy and looked dangerous, with Musu, making his MLS debut, coming close to scoring the game-winner.
Musu created one chance and put all three of his shots off target, but they weren't far from goal. It seemed like he won his side a penalty when he was pushed in the back by a Sporting defender, but the call didn't go his way.
In a forgettable New York City road game, Musu's eye-catching debut will be remembered.
Sebastiano Musu makes his MLS debut | Courtesy newyorkcityfc.com
5. Four points in three road games
NYCFC had one away win heading into this month's brutal four-game roadtrip. It started with a lackluster 2-0 loss to Charlotte, but New York City bounced back, defeating Orlando and drawing with Kansas City on three days' rest.
Four points in three away games may not look great, but it's commendable for NYCFC, which is one of the worst road teams in MLS.
New York City will end its summer gauntlet next Friday night against an FC Dallas side that struggles to win at Toyota Stadium.
New York City FC | Four-Game Roadtrips by Year
| Year | W | D | L | PTS | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025* | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 4 | -1 |
| 2024 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 5 | -1 |
| 2023 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 6 | -3 |
| 2019 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 7 | 3 | +4 |
| 2017 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 0 |
| 2016 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 8 | -2 |
