HARRISON, N.J. — New York City FC entered Thursday night with its Leagues Cup hopes still alive. By the final whistle, Necaxa had brought them to an end.
Despite entering the match already eliminated, Necaxa came from behind to defeat NYCFC 2-1 at Sports Illustrated Stadium, earning its first victory of the 2026 Leagues Cup and denying New York the regulation win it needed to keep its quarterfinal hopes alive.
NYCFC looked like the side with more to play for throughout much of the opening half. Brazilian forward Luighi, making his first start for the club, was active early and repeatedly found space around the Necaxa defense. New York continued to build pressure, eventually finding its breakthrough from a set piece.
In the 37th minute, Nicolás Fernández Mercau delivered a ball into the area and Keaton Parks rose to head it home, giving NYCFC a 1-0 advantage. It was Parks’ first career Leagues Cup goal and gave New York control heading into halftime.
The momentum changed completely after the break.
Necaxa, which had failed to register a shot on target during the first half, began finding more space and pushing NYCFC deeper. The breakthrough came in the 58th minute, when Juan Valencia fired a right-footed finish into the bottom corner. After a lengthy VAR review, the goal stood and suddenly New York’s advantage was gone.With NYCFC needing a victory, the pressure only increased.
Instead, it was Necaxa that found the decisive moment. In the 79th minute, a deflected cross created chaos inside the NYCFC penalty area. The ball eventually dropped to Juan Camilo Torres, who reacted quickly and volleyed past goalkeeper Tomás Romero from close range to put Necaxa ahead 2-1. It was Torres’ first goal for Necaxa since joining the club in July.
New York pushed numbers forward in search of an equalizer, but Necaxa refused to give the hosts a way back into the match. NYCFC did not record a shot on target after Valencia’s equalizer, allowing Necaxa to close out the comeback.
For Necaxa, the victory did not change its tournament fate, but it offered something to build on.
After entering the night already eliminated, the Liga MX side played with little pressure and showed a response after falling behind. Rather than allowing the match to slip away, Necaxa remained patient and took advantage of its opportunities in the second half.
For NYCFC, the result carries a much different feeling.
New York entered its final Phase One match knowing it needed a regulation victory — along with help elsewhere — to remain in contention for the quarterfinals. Instead, a promising first half turned into a 2-1 defeat and the end of its 2026 Leagues Cup campaign.
The attention now shifts back toward domestic play. NYCFC returns to MLS action against the Philadelphia Union on August 16, while Necaxa returns to Liga MX competition against León on August 17.
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