New York City vs Charlotte

Yankee Stadium plays host to a high-stakes Major League Soccer meeting between New York City and Charlotte.

New York City’s effort to reach the MLS playoffs for the sixth season running got back on track after a narrow 1-0 win at Montreal last weekend ended their frustrating run of five consecutive league draws. That triumph was also their first MLS success since April, putting an end to a dreadful streak of ten winless league outings in a row (D5, L5). But it’s been a while since New York last tasted victory on home turf, going four straight MLS fixtures without winning at the Yankee Stadium (D2, L2) since a 3-1 thumping of Dallas in mid-April. Their wait may drag on unless under-fire manager Nick Cushing finds a way to improve the Pigeons’ humiliating H2H record against Charlotte in the MLS (L3).

Given Charlotte’s dismal five-game winless league run in the build-up to this trip (D3, L2), Cushing’s task may not be as arduous as expected, especially considering the visitors’ recent proclivities for conceding in abundance. Before a tepid 0-0 home draw against Montreal in their most recent league outing, they had shipped a concerning average of three goals per game across their three previous top-flight fixtures. Charlotte’s defensive vulnerability will unlikely boost their chances of defying an underwhelming run of three defeats from their last five MLS away outings (W1, D1). But with their two most recent league travels seeing both teams score at least twice, entertainment could be a theme in New York.