CHICAGO, IL — New York City FC suffered another frustrating setback in its push toward the MLS Cup Playoffs, falling 2-1 to Chicago Fire FC on Saturday afternoon at Soldier Field. Despite taking an early lead and playing with a numerical advantage following a first-half Chicago red card, the Boys in Blue surrendered two second-half goals in a defeat that raised further questions about the team’s ability to close out matches.
The October 10 contest, played before 31,893 spectators, marked head coach Pascal Jansen’s 75th match in charge of NYCFC across all competitions.
Wolf Strikes Early as NYCFC Takes Control
New York City entered the match looking to regain momentum following its September 26 meeting with Atlanta United. The visitors received a boost with goalkeeper Matt Freese, defender Tayvon Gray and midfielder Aiden O’Neill returning from international duty.
NYCFC broke through in the 19th minute when Hannes Wolf found the back of the net, giving the visitors a 1-0 advantage. Alonso Martínez, making his first regular-season start of 2026, contributed the assist alongside Agustín Ojeda.
For Martínez, the appearance represented another important step in his return to full fitness. It was his first start for the club since November 7, 2025, during the MLS Cup Playoffs.
Wolf’s goal was his first since recording a hat trick against Columbus Crew in May.
Chicago’s first-half dismissal appeared to provide NYCFC with an ideal opportunity to secure three valuable road points. However, the second half told an entirely different story.
Chicago Fights Back Despite Numerical Disadvantage
Rather than capitalizing on the extra player, NYCFC struggled to maintain possession, intensity and defensive organization after halftime.
Anton Salétros brought Chicago level early in the second half, shifting momentum toward the home side despite its numerical disadvantage.
The Fire continued pressing and eventually completed the comeback through Maren Haile-Selassie, whose late winner secured a remarkable 2-1 victory.
Following the match, Jansen offered a particularly harsh assessment of his team’s performance.
“Terrible second half,” Jansen said during his postmatch press conference.
The NYCFC manager explained that his halftime instructions emphasized aggressive pressing, controlling possession and forcing Chicago to chase the ball. Instead, he watched his players retreat from challenges and fail to maintain their first-half intensity.
Jansen also expressed frustration with repeated individual mistakes and the team’s inability to protect favorable positions.
Jansen Addresses Miami Challenge and Playoff Urgency
Speaking with Stream Punk Soccer during the postmatch press conference, Jansen was asked how NYCFC could recover ahead of its upcoming matchup against Inter Miami.
The manager emphasized the importance of quickly moving beyond the disappointing result.
“After the 24 hours, we’ll focus and reset ourselves in order to be ready to compete with Miami,” Jansen explained, describing the upcoming contest as a massive game given NYCFC’s position in the standings.
He also stressed that urgency must become a consistent feature of the team’s performances throughout its remaining six matches.
For NYCFC, that urgency is becoming increasingly important as the club fights to remain in postseason contention.
Milestones Overshadowed by Defeat
Despite the disappointing result, several NYCFC players reached noteworthy milestones.
Defender Thiago Martins made his 150th career MLS appearance for the club across regular-season and playoff competition, while midfielder Jonny Shore reached 50 MLS appearances after entering as a substitute.
Ojeda also recorded his 20th career MLS assist across all competitions, including his 11th of the 2026 regular season.
Following the match, Wolf acknowledged that the players bore responsibility for the collapse, admitting that the team abandoned much of what had worked during the opening 45 minutes.
The defeat leaves NYCFC facing difficult questions about consistency, defensive concentration and its ability to turn promising performances into victories.
With Inter Miami awaiting on Wednesday, the Boys in Blue have little time to dwell on another missed opportunity.
For Jansen and his squad, the challenge is straightforward: rediscover the intensity that produced their first-half advantage and sustain it for an entire 90 minutes.
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