New York City fell 2-1 to Necaxa in the League Cup group stage at Sport Illustrated Stadium on Wednesday evening. The hosts took an early lead through K. Parks but could not hold on as Necaxa turned the game around with three second-half goals. It was a result that shifted the momentum entirely, leaving City to manage the final quarter without their advantage.
Parks gave New York City the lead in the thirty-seventh minute, a moment that looked promising for the home side. They had won their previous meeting with Santos Laguna 2-0 and were on a run, but this match refused to follow that pattern. City controlled more of the ball, as they often do, but possession alone does not win games in cup competitions.
Necaxa took control after the break. J. Valencia scored in the fifty-eighth minute and then added another in the sixty-third, with the goal later confirmed by VAR. The home side made three substitutions in quick succession around the sixty-fourth minute, trying to respond, but the damage was done. Valencia remained on the pitch until the seventy-fourth minute, having been the architect of the turnaround.
The third goal came from J. P. Torres Patino in the seventy-ninth minute, a late strike that effectively ended any hope of a comeback. Necaxa had lost three of their last five matches before this game, including heavy defeats to Philadelphia Union and Toluca, but they found their rhythm when it mattered. Diego Ochoa received a yellow card in the seventy-fifth minute as frustration mounted.
The statistics tell the story of a mismatch in efficiency. New York City held 57 per cent of possession and completed 396 passes, but their shots had just 11 per cent accuracy — only one shot on target from nine attempts. Necaxa, with 43 per cent possession, shot with 40 per cent accuracy, landing four of ten attempts on target. Both sides created two big chances, but City's were never converted.
The result leaves New York City with a difficult position in the group stage. They had won their last three matches before the defeat to Cruz Azul, but this performance showed vulnerabilities they will need to address. Necaxa, meanwhile, ended their poor run and can look ahead with something to build on.