New York City FC will try to end a seven-match winless run in MLS when it hosts Columbus Crew at Yankee Stadium on Sunday at 4:30pm ET. Both clubs enter the game with 12 points, and Columbus trail New York City FC by one goal on goal difference.
The timing matters because New York City FC is stuck in a stretch that has started to bite. It has been shut out in its last two league matches, including a 2-0 home loss to DC United in which it held 73% possession and still could not find a goal. Nicolás Fernández leads the team with eight goals, while Maxi Moralez has six assists in league play and three more in the U.S. Open Cup.
For Columbus, last weekend's 3-2 loss to Minnesota United was a setback, but not a reset. Three of its five league matches before that defeat were wins, and the Crew have adapted after striker Wessam Abou Ali was injured. Max Arfsten has helped carry that adjustment, with six goal contributions in his last six games.
Minnesota's win was decided with direct production from Anthony Markanich, who scored once and added an assist. That result sharpened the race at the top of the early table, because New York City FC and Columbus are separated by little more than one goal and one bad afternoon.
The contrast is plain. New York City FC is trying to stop the slide of a team that has controlled games without controlling results. Columbus is trying to show that a slow start to 2026 under new manager Henrik Rydström has already given way to something more stable. Sunday's meeting at Yankee Stadium, which kicks off at 4:30pm ET, will not settle that argument, but it will say a lot about which side is finding its footing first.
