3 things we learned from NYCFC’s 2-1 win against Orlando City SC | OneFootball

On Saturday, New York City FC celebrated the club’s tenth anniversary of Major League Soccer play during the home opener.  The Pigeons and Orlando City SC battled it out in front of a good crowd despite the cold and wind.  The excitement of the anniversary certainly brought people out.  Plus, a few former players like Poku and Andrea Pirlo were there to take part in the celebrations.

Regarding the actual match, NYCFC had to try and win after drawing their first game against Inter Miami CF and losing to Los Angeles FC in the second.  Therefore, the pressure was on the players and Head Coach Pascal Jansen to earn three points.

Fans were fortunate to see an exciting game, especially in the second half.  The Pigeons beat Orlando 2-1 thanks to goals from Alonso Martínez and Hannes Wolf.  In addition, Jonathan Shore's strong first start helped the team significantly due to his work in the midfield.

The anniversary celebration was clearly made better with the win.  Here are three things we learned from the Eastern Conference battle between NYCFC and Orlando City SC.

3 things we learned from NYCFC’s home opener win

3. Kevin O’Toole’s red card was unnecessary

NYCFC was up 2-1 late in the game when Kevin O’Toole received a red card.  The reason was because he got a second yellow to result in a red.  To make matters worse, the two yellow cards were given in under ten minutes.  As a result, the Bronx side played the rest of the match with only ten men.

When all is said and done, the red card was unnecessary.  No, this is not a criticism of the referees, but of O’Toole. He knew he was on a yellow card, and yet he committed a tactical foul.  He had teammates behind him defensively, and at the time, Orlando was not even a full threat at the goal.  This was a poor mistake for someone who has been in the league for a few years.

O’Toole should know better and know that committing tactical fouls often results in a yellow card.  He knew he was on a yellow.  The defender should have never been that careless, and he was the reason NYCFC had to play a man down for the rest of the fixture.  Thankfully, it was only about ten minutes when one adds regulation and stoppage time.  But the second yellow card should have never happened.

2. Hannes Wolf finally scored again for NYCFC

Since the summer, Wolf has been criticized by NYCFC fans, and rightfully so.  He had a good start to his tenure with the Pigeons in 2024 but fell off in the second half of the season.  He was not as good, but he still started the majority of the matches.  Plus, he last scored in MLS back in July.

Hence, there were some questions about his continued starts and whether his early success was just a fluke.  But finally, after many months, he scored again.  Wolf was in the right place at the right time, and the ball from Julián Fernández was perfect.  He made sure it went right to Wolf, who was able to head the ball into the back of the net and grab the win.

Funny enough, Agustín Ojeda was supposed to start.  However, Jansen revealed to the media that the younger winger was late, so Wolf received the start instead.  It is funny how those things work in the end.  Maybe that led to Wolf scoring but also playing a little better compared to previous matches.

1. The NYCFC crowd was fantastic

Sometimes, NYCFC does not get the attendance numbers one would expect they would.  The team is in one of the best sports cities in the country, but sometimes, Yankee Stadium and Citi Field do not get the numbers that they should.  Sports Illustrated Stadium, formerly Red Bull Arena, is understandable, for many do not want to go to their rival’s stadium.

Although, there has been an increase in attendance since COVID, and last season, the attendance average was the highest since 2019 with over 21,600 attending per game.

Nevertheless, NYCFC fans came out in full force, with over 25,800 in the Orlando match.  The supporters were electric, and the stands looked incredible.  The club should try and aim to have as many fixtures as possible that will have 25,000 or more.  If they can encourage people to come, then the new stadium should fill up during numerous games when it opens.

Of course, sometimes the numbers do not matter, but rather the energy.  Despite the cold, everyone was energetic, cheering on the team.  NYCFC needs more nights like the one from the home opener.