Power Ranking New York City FC's home openers

No one hates the half-dead, early-season Yankee Stadium sod more than the Major League Soccer Schedule makers. For the 11th consecutive season, they opted to push NYCFC’s home opener back a week or so, ensuring the Pigeons opened their season this year, as they do every year, on the road.

While catching a flight to Miami to escape the frozen, salt-stained concrete of a New York February is admittedly a patented New Yorker move, NYCFC don’t seem to enjoy these weekend trips as much as their vacationing counterparts. Their mixed-bag of a 2-2 result against Inter Miami brought them to 2-3-6 all-time in Matchweek 1, which is good for a measly 0.82 PPSO (points per season opener). 

That said, once that yellow turf has been given another week or two to grow in, they tend to throw a heck of a homecoming party back in the Bronx.

NYCFC boasts an impressive 7-2-1 record in home openers, which is good for a PPHO (points per home opener) of 2.3. I don’t think MLS keeps track of such data, so let's just go ahead and say that’s the best in the league.

This season, the trend of dropping points on the road to start the year held, with NYCFC settling for a point in Miami and leaving Los Angeles empty-handed. Now more than ever, New York City fans need this home-opener bounce to hold up its end of the historical bargain.

So, to help get us in the mood and to put some positive energy into the footballing universe, let’s check out all ten home openers in NYCFC history and power-rank them for your reading pleasure.

#10: New York City 1 –  2 Portland Timbers

March 9, 2024

In a list full of wins, any opening-day loss in the pouring rain would be an easy candidate for the wooden spoon. But this match? It was particularly cursed.

It all started well, with Santi Rodríguez scoring early on with a clean strike and with NYCFC dominating large phases of play. But in their search for an insurance goal, the match quickly fell victim to a frustrating theme: Mounsef Bakrar missing one-v-ones.

To be fair, the Algerian bullied Portland’s defense all afternoon, forcing himself in behind the Timber’s backline on five occasions. But three scuffed shots, a blocked pass, and a mistimed run later, NYCFC’s lead remained just one goal.

This left the door open for the inevitable, which came in the form of an 85th-minute Portland equalizer from Antony (no, not that one). 

While fans headed for the exits seeking dry clothes and lamenting two dropped points, it got worse for them still. In the 97th minute, Evander uncorked one past a hapless Matt Freese from miles out, turning a frustrating draw into an incomprehensible loss.

After such a brutal 2023 season, this home-soil start to 2024 was an absolute nightmare.

#9: New York City 0 – 0 DC United

March 10, 2019

We blast back to the Domé Torrent era for the #9 slot, which perhaps fittingly marked one of the first starts for Taty Castellanos as striker after being primarily used off the wing in his debut 2018 season.

Outside of that hyper-specific NYCFC trivia nugget, this game wasn’t much to write home about.

The stars of the show were the goalkeepers, with Sean Johnson and DC United’s Bill Hamid trading impressive saves on a chilly March afternoon.

But, with no goals for New York City and no moments of magic from Wayne Rooney, this match left few memories to hold onto.

#8: New York City 1 – 0 Columbus Crew

August 24, 2020

Given that this match was played behind closed doors, in August, at Red Bull Arena, in front of zero fans, can we even count this one a home opener?

Officially, that seems to be the case. With the COVID-19 pandemic still raging on, New York City hosted their first home match of the year when they played Columbus Crew in Harrison, NJ. 

The vibes were as weird as you’d expect. Home openers are all about the fans, and even in a win against that year’s eventual MLS Cup champions, it all felt a bit hollow without the voices of the Third Rail and the drums of Los Templados.

#7: New York City 2 – 2 Toronto FC

March 13, 2016

The second home opener in club history drew an awesome crowd when an announced 30,315 poured into Yankee Stadium to see a classic NYCFC 1.0 squad take on Toronto FC.

The atmosphere brought proper big-game energy, and the match got off to a great start with He Who Shall Not be Named bagging a brace in just 28 minutes. 

But then, as was often the case against Toronto in that era, Sebastian Giovinco showed up. On the stroke of halftime, the Atomic Ant served in a beauty of a set piece for an assist that cut the deficit before calling his own number in the 76th minute with another moment of brilliance to equalize.

In hindsight, what stands out most from that day is the notably fuller stands and visibly greener grass Yankee Stadium offered back in those days, which makes for some nice, nostalgic highlight-watching. In the moment, however, dropping two goals in the game and two points in the table certainly stung.

#6: New York City 1 – 0 Inter Miami

March 11, 2023

The amount of roster turnover between these two squads since the 2023 home opener is astounding. Just two years on, only three New York City starters from that day remain with the club, and only one at Miami. 

For NYCFC, that’s Thiago Martins, Keaton Parks, and Mitja Ilenič. From an Inter Miami point of view, that lone leftover is Drake Callender, who absolutely balled out on the night.

Callender’s heroics served as the match’s best talking point, with him turning away Santi Rodríguez and Briain Cufré in a particularly ridiculous fashion en route to seven saves on the night. 

In the end, the only one capable of beating the white-hot goalkeeper was his own center-back, Christopher McVey, whose 36th-minute own goal proved the lone score in the match. 

Had we known the calamity of that upcoming season, that home win probably would’ve been valued greater in the moment. But at the time, New York City’s inability to find the back of the net left something to be desired.

#5: NYCFC 5 – 0 FC Cincinnati

April 24, 2021

The crowds may have been back in full force by the time NYCFC lifted MLS Cup come December, but the start of the 2021 season was still very much COVID-affected. Not only did NYCFC have to wait until late April to open its doors at Yankee Stadium, but they did so to a crowd of just 4,500 fans to comply with health and safety protocols. 

If it weren’t for the mostly empty stadium, this match would’ve surely ranked higher on this list.

New York City beat FC Cincinnati like a drum, finding the back of the net five times, but arguably could’ve had more. This perennial bottom-dweller version of Cincy was a shell of the side they are these days, and it showed.

Two own goals from Cincinnati were equaled by two wonder strikes from Jesús Medina and Gudi Thorarinsson, whose free-kick goal in the 57th minute served as an excellent bit of foreshadowing for what was to come in that magical year.

#4: NYCFC 2 – 1 LA Galaxy

March 11, 2018

This one had a little bit of everything.

In his home debut, Anton Tinnerholm opened the scoring with a patented “Tinnerboom” strike that thumped off the bottom of the bar and in. If it was a few inches higher, I’d be genuinely worried for the health and safety of the fans behind the goal. It was hit that hard.

David Villa tapped home a second after a great run from Jesús Medina, who was also making his home debut on the night, to extend the lead.

After an impressive point-blank save in the first half, Sean Johnson had a moment to forget in the second 45 when Jonathan Dos Santos plucked one right off his fingertips to chip away at City’s lead.

But, in a very goofy end to the match, a then 37-year-old Ashly Cole tripped over the ball, dragged down an in-behind Villa, and received his second yellow. The English legend was sent packing, and NYCFC held on for three points.

Two debuts, a banger, a GK howler, a red card, a big crowd, and a win are all great ingredients for a classic, which is how this one should be remembered.

#3 New York City 4 – 0 DC United 

March 12, 2017

Along with being an absolute drubbing of an Eastern Conference rival, this match was chock-full of both NYCFC history and moments of immense quality.

It marked the first home matches of two club legends, Maxi Moralez and Sean Johnson, who both joined NYCFC ahead of the 2017 season. 

In front of a big crowd on a chilly March afternoon, Maxi notched the first two of his 104 goal involvements for NYCFC with a goal in the 39th minute and an assist in the 75th.

#2 New York City 4 – 1 CF Montreal

March 12, 2022

NYCFC hosted their first home match as MLS Cup champions in their 2022 season opener vs CF Montreal. The weather was miserable, and the banner was microscopic, but the vibes were great, and man, was that trophy shiny.

The play on the pitch was just as sparkling, with the star-studded cast returning to the Bronx in the very form they left behind in Portland.

Alex Callens opened the scoring with one of the most underrated goals in recent NYCFC history, and the likes of Santi, Taty, and Talles Magno put in shifts worthy of the championship rings I imagine they all wore under their winter gloves that day.

Overall, it was a memorable 4-1 win against a Wilfried Nancy side that proved a tough opponent for the rest of the season. I miss this version of New York City very much.

#1 New York City 2 - 0 New England Revolution

March 15, 2015

The home opener of all home openers. 

On March 15th, 2015, Yankee Stadium opened its doors to New York City Football Club for the first time. It was our first look at the wacky setup that sparked criticism from rival fans, measurement inquiries from opposing coaches, and social media jabs from admins that had unknowingly just doomed their side to defeat.

But above all, it was the day NYCFC fans announced themselves to the world, doing so with a bang. A massive crowd of 43,507 filled Yankee Stadium to its famous facade, with each and every one of them contributing to the perfect housewarming.

Adrian Healey’s call of “David Villa bringing the house down at Yankee Stadium” rings just as clearly in the ears of fans now as it did a decade ago, and the “limbs” seen on that opening goal stadium-wide may not have been matched since.

Patrick Mullins sealed the victory and started the afterparty in the 84th minute, locking up the three points and ensuring that his match went down in history in the only way befitting of the occasion: an emphatic win.

Even ten years on from that fateful day, no playoff win, derby triumph, or Messi mayhem has matched the bedlam displayed by Los Celestes in that Yankee Stadium opener.

But, with one eye on Etihad Park already, perhaps we can do it all again in 2027.