New York City FC continued its recent surge in form on Wednesday night, grinding out a 1-0 road victory over Charlotte FC at Bank of America Stadium in front of 23,903 fans. The result marked NYCFC’s second road win of the 2026 MLS season and extended the club’s winning streak in North Carolina to three straight matches dating back to last year’s MLS Cup Playoffs.
The decisive moment came early, as midfielder Nicolás Fernández Mercau found the back of the net in the eighth minute. The Argentine continues to establish himself as one of Major League Soccer’s most dangerous attacking players, now sitting tied for third in MLS scoring with nine goals this season. Mercau has also scored in three consecutive matches against Charlotte across all competitions and has been directly involved in 12 league goals in 2026 with nine goals and three assists.
For NYCFC, the victory was another example of how important scoring first has become under head coach Pascal Jansen. Through 13 matches this season, the club has opened the scoring seven times and remains unbeaten in those games, posting five wins and two draws for a total of 17 points.
The Boys in Blue also showed continued defensive improvement. Goalkeeper Matt Freese recorded back-to-back clean sheets for the first time during the 2026 regular season, securing his third shutout campaign of the year. NYCFC has now earned consecutive league victories for the first time since March, when the club defeated both Orlando City and the Colorado Rapids.
Additional contributions came from Agustín Ojeda and Hannes Wolf, who each registered goal contributions in consecutive MLS matches. Wolf is coming off the first hat trick of his MLS career after starring in NYCFC’s recent 3-0 win over the Columbus Crew.
The victory also carried emotional significance for Andrés Perea, who made his first away appearance against Charlotte since suffering a lower leg fracture during the 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs at the same venue.
With the win, NYCFC climbs to sixth place in the Eastern Conference and continues building momentum during a critical stretch of the MLS season.
- Waterdogs Victorious In PLL Season Opener
- The All Lacrosse All The Time Crew is back with their Premier Lacrosse League Pick ‘Ems – Week 2
- All Lacrosse All The Time NLL Pick ‘Ems – Playoff Edition Week 4
- NYCFC Quietly Returns To Form, Win 1-0 on Road in Charlotte
- Halifax Wins Best-Of-3 vs. Georgia To Advance To Finals
