Thiago’s goal lifts NYCFC to win, denting Red Bulls playoff hopes

New York City FC beat the New York Red Bulls 3-2 on Saturday night in Harrison, N.J., as Thiago Martins scored his first MLS goal to spark a comeback and keep NYCFC’s postseason hopes alive. NYCFC improved to 17-10-5 with 56 points, tying Inter Miami for third in the Eastern Conference, while the Red Bulls fell to 12-12-7 with 43 points, four behind Chicago for the final playoff berth with two regular-season games remaining. New York City’s pursuit of an MLS-record 15th consecutive playoff appearance remains in jeopardy as the stretch run unfolds.

Nicolás Fernández opened the scoring in the second minute for NYCFC, curling a rolling finish from a few yards left of the penalty spot inside the back post. The Red Bulls answered when Julian Hall, a 17-year-old in his third MLS campaign, scored his first goal of the season in the 23rd minute. Perea flicked a header from a ball-in delivered by Maxi Moralez, the near-post service glanced off the goalkeeper Carlos Miguel Coronel and ricocheted off the post before Martins finished into the open net to put NYCFC ahead 2-1 in the 26th. Emil Forsberg leveled for NYCFC with a first-touch finish from just inside the box in the 47th minute, setting the stage for the decisive sequence. Thiago Martins pounced in the 65th minute, converting a rebound from point-blank range after Perea’s header off a Moralez corner redirected off Coronel and into the net, giving NYCFC a 3-2 lead.

New York City goalkeeper Matt Freese left the game in the 67th minute with an injury, a development that added to the tense final stretch. The late substitute kept the lead intact as NYCFC weathered a push from their rivals and protected the three points.

The result deepens the Red Bulls’ playoff challenge and leaves NYCFC clinging to their postseason streak with two games left on the schedule. Chicago’s later 2-0 win over Columbus cracked the Eastern Conference picture wider, widening the gap to the final playoff spot. New York’s win, combined with other results, kept the club alive in the fight for a top-three finish in the East, while also keeping pressure on Inter Miami in pursuit of a higher seed.

NYCFC’s place in MLS history looms over the late-season stretch, as the club has built the league’s longest active playoff streak. The immediate focus, however, remains on the next two matches and whether NYCFC can close the gap in the standings, extend the streak, and secure a favorable position heading into the postseason. U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino is to announce his roster next week for a pair of October friendlies, a note that adds another layer of importance to the upcoming week for players in the American pipeline.

The Red Bulls will regroup and try to overhaul their own postseason odds in the final two games, but the current result leaves a precarious path to the playoffs as the calendar turns toward October. The Hudson River Derby delivered drama, goals, and a late twist, underscoring why the rivalry remains a central storyline in MLS as the season winds down.