New York City FC saw its 2026 Leagues Cup campaign come to an end Thursday night, falling 2-1 to Liga MX side Club Necaxa despite taking the early advantage through midfielder Keaton Parks.
The meeting was the first between NYCFC and Necaxa in Leagues Cup play and their first on American soil. The clubs had previously met in an international friendly in Mexico in October 2016, a match won by Necaxa.
New York opened the scoring through Parks, who found the net off a corner delivered by Nico Fernández Mercau. The goal was Parks’ first in Leagues Cup competition and the 20th across all competitions during his NYCFC career.
Fernández Mercau’s assist was his second in Leagues Cup play, with both coming from set pieces — his first from a free kick and now his second from a corner.
NYCFC assistant coach Mehdi Ballouchy felt the Boys in Blue had the better of the opening half and entered the match fully intent on advancing.
“I thought the attitude of the players from the get-go was really good,” Ballouchy said, praising the team’s fight and spirit while noting that NYCFC was able to get into dangerous areas more frequently during the opening half.
However, Necaxa worked its way back into the match, and the momentum shifted after NYCFC surrendered its advantage. Ballouchy said New York maintained its tactical organization but failed to capitalize enough on transition opportunities after winning possession in advanced positions. Once Necaxa moved ahead 2-1, NYCFC struggled to rediscover its earlier rhythm.
The match also offered opportunities throughout the NYCFC roster. Sixteen-year-old NYCFC II forward El Hadji Samb made his First Team and Leagues Cup debut, while goalkeeper Tómas Romero made his NYCFC Leagues Cup debut and first start in the competition.
Forward Luighi Hanri Sousa Santos and defender Mitja Ilenič each made their first starts of the 2026 season. Andrés Perea made his 85th appearance across all competitions for NYCFC, while Tayvon Gray recorded his 15th career Leagues Cup appearance.
Ballouchy defended the club’s lineup rotation, emphasizing that the changes were not made simply to save players for Sunday’s MLS match against Philadelphia. Instead, he said NYCFC’s squad is close enough in quality that changing personnel should not alter the team’s approach.
“That’s a game we went into to win with a chance to advance,” Ballouchy said.
NYCFC finishes its fourth Leagues Cup campaign with an all-time tournament record of 4-7-3 across 14 matches, scoring and conceding 18 goals.
The club can now turn its full attention back to MLS competition. One encouraging development is improving health within the squad, with Ballouchy confirming that Kevin O’Toole and Parks are back healthy while other players are returning to the mix. Agustín Ojeda and Hannes Wolf, who were absent Thursday, were dealing with minor issues and were expected back in training Friday.
With Leagues Cup behind them, the Boys in Blue now shift their focus toward the stretch run of the MLS season — hoping a healthier roster and lessons from tournament play can provide a boost for the matches ahead.
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