New York City FC let a two-goal lead slip in heartbreaking fashion Wednesday night, conceding twice in stoppage time in a chaotic 4-4 draw against FC Cincinnati at Yankee Stadium. What should have been a statement home win instead became another painful reminder of NYCFC’s recent late-game struggles.
The match had all the ingredients of a comfortable victory for Pascal Jansen’s side. Nicolás Fernández Mercau continued his sensational start to the season with a first-half brace, scoring in the 20th and 35th minutes to give City a 2-1 halftime advantage. Mercau now sits among the league leaders with eight goals in just nine matches, cementing himself as NYCFC’s most dangerous attacking weapon.
After Cincinnati’s Kévin Denkey briefly pulled one back in the first half, Agustín Ojeda restored control for the hosts in the 53rd minute with a composed finish. Denkey struck again in the 64th minute to keep Cincinnati alive, but Talles Magno appeared to put the contest away in the 79th minute when he finished from close range to make it 4-2. With just minutes remaining, NYCFC looked poised to collect all three points.
Then came the collapse.
In the 92nd minute, substitute Andrei Chirila stunned the home crowd with a low strike from outside the box that somehow found the bottom corner, cutting the deficit to 4-3. Suddenly nervous energy filled Yankee Stadium as Cincinnati poured forward one last time.
Moments later, disaster struck again. Deep into stoppage time, FC Cincinnati were awarded a penalty, and star midfielder Evander calmly converted in the 95th minute to snatch a dramatic point and complete the comeback. In a matter of minutes, NYCFC turned victory into frustration.
For a team searching for momentum, the result will sting deeply. NYCFC scored four goals, received standout performances from Mercau and Ojeda, and had enough attacking quality to win comfortably. But defensive lapses, poor game management, and an inability to close out matches once again proved costly.
City finished with 17 shots and nine on target, more than enough production to win most nights. Instead, the conversation afterward centered on the two stoppage-time goals conceded and two valuable points dropped at home.
Now winless in five matches, NYCFC must quickly regroup. The attack is producing, but until they solve their late-game defensive issues, victories may continue slipping away at the worst possible moment.
