After seeing a lengthy winning streak recently end, New York City FC will try to start another one when they host CF Montreal on Wednesday evening.
New York City (10-8-2, 32 points) went on a run of five consecutive wins spanning the better part of May. June, however, turned out to be a rough month: New York City FC dropped three straight matches, first losing at home to the Columbus Crew and then falling to the LA Galaxy and Nashville SC on the road.
But on Friday, NYCFC topped Orlando City 4-2 for their seventh home win of the season; only Los Angeles FC (nine) has more. Key to that victory was Tayvon Gray, credited with a pair of assists to bring his season total up to four.
“He’s an exceptional game player, and what I mean by that is his mentality is strong,” NYCFC coach Nick Cushing said of Gray. “I know we can trust Tayvon in these moments. … He’s really improving his game and he’s really helping the team at the moment.”
For Montreal (5-8-7, 22 points), a 4-2 win on Saturday against the struggling Philadelphia Union snapped an 0-1-3 stretch.
Montreal, looking for back-to-back wins for the first time since the second and third match days of the season, has struggled to piece together a sustained run of strong form. Still, the club is just two points behind Atlanta United for the ninth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
“I don’t want to be rude, but we have to be consistent when we play good and when we play bad,” CF Montreal striker Josef Martinez said. “In this league, you have to be 100 percent every day. … Hopefully, this victory (against Philadelphia) helps, not only for the players but for all of Montreal, and we are here all together.”
Montreal, 2-6-3 away from home, has not won on the road since March 10. It will continue to be without Mathieu Choiniere, Samuel Piette and Joel Waterman (Canada) — plus Ariel Lassiter (Costa Rica) — due to Copa America. Choiniere was named an MLS All-Star on Monday along with NYCFC defender Thiago Martins.
Meanwhile, NYCFC will need to navigate the long-term absence of Malachi Jones, who broke his right leg during the win against Orlando and underwent surgery on Saturday. The No. 8 overall selection in the 2024 MLS SuperDraft has accumulated a goal and three assists through 14 appearances (four starts) this season.
–Field Level Media
