Columbus Crew 2 Goals:Â
New York City FC II Goals:Â
Quick Read
New York City FC II opened the 2026 MLS NEXT Pro regular season with a scoreless draw against Columbus Crew 2 in Ohio. Despite controlling large stretches of the game, NYCFC II could not find a breakthrough and ultimately fell short in the ensuing penalty shootout, with Columbus winning 5-4.
Match Recap
New York City FC II kicked off the 2026 MLS NEXT Pro regular season with a trip to Ohio to take on Columbus Crew 2.
Head Coach Matt Pilkington named a strong side to face Columbus, including a number of players with first-team experience already on their resume.
Despite that, it was the hosts who created the first chance of the game after five minutes when Chase Adams tested Mac Learned from distance.
In response, Seymour Reid produced NYCFC II’s first look at goal but saw his effort blocked. The Jamaican forward then had several follow-up efforts minutes later but was unable to break the deadlock.
Next it was Jonathan Shore who went close after firing a shot from outside the box that just missed the target.
It continued to be one-way traffic, with Máximo Carrizo forcing a save from Luke Pruter in the 20th minute before teammate Sebastiano Musu missed the target with a header seven minutes later.
Shore went close again just before the half-hour mark but saw his effort blocked by Nico Rincón.
Columbus forced a save from Learned in the 37th minute, and eight minutes later Johann Chirinos had a shot blocked by Max Murray.
The two sides went in scoreless at the break, with Shore having the final chance of the half.
New York City FC’s control continued in the second half, with Nico Cavallo drawing a save from Pruter in the opening minute.
Carrizo fired over in the 55th minute before Shore registered a look on target minutes later that did not trouble Pruter.
Quinton Elliot responded for Columbus with a header that missed the target.
Pilkington turned to his bench in the 72nd minute, making a triple change as Juan Camilo Ponce, Joe Suchecki, and Uriel Zeitz replaced Shore, Musu, and Carrizo. Peter Molinari entered in the 78th minute, replacing Cooper Flax.
New York City FC II continued to push for an opener, and in the 80th minute Zeitz came close with a header that was saved by Pruter.
The two sides battled until the final whistle but were unable to find a breakthrough, forcing both teams to settle for a point and a penalty shootout to decide the bonus point. In the end, Columbus claimed the shootout 5-4.
How We Lined Up
What's Next
Next up for New York City FC II is a meeting with Red Bulls II in the Hudson River Derby. Kickoff is scheduled 7:00PM ET on Sunday, March 15.
