Deportivo Toluca Goals: Ángulo 36', Paulinho 39'
New York City FC Goals: Martínez 10'
Quick Read
New York City FC suffered a narrow 2-1 defeat on Tuesday night against Deportivo Toluca. Alonso Martínez put New York City ahead early on before two goals in three minutes from Jesús Ángulo and Paulinho put Toluca ahead. Despite a spirited second half New York City couldn't find an equalizer and suffered a narrow defeat.
Match Recap
New York City FC entered their final Leagues Cup Phase One fixture against Deportivo Toluca needing a decisive win and favorable results elsewhere to keep their tournament hopes alive.
A commanding victory over Club León in their previous outing had reignited belief, and Head Coach Pascal Jansen stuck with the same starting XI in hopes of maintaining momentum. That decision paid off early, as NYCFC struck first in the 10th minute. Alonso Martínez opened the scoring with a superb long-range effort to give his side an ideal start.
Toluca quickly looked to respond through Alexis Vega, but his effort was comfortably dealt with by Matt Freese. Shortly after the half-hour mark, NYCFC were forced into a substitution, with Tayvon Gray replaced by Mitja Ilenič due to injury.
The match took a dramatic turn just six minutes later. A powerful header from Joao Fernandes rattled the crossbar and fell kindly for Jesús Ángulo, who tucked away the rebound to level the score.
Toluca then grabbed the lead in the 39th minute through Paulinho. Though the goal was initially ruled offside, VAR intervened to overturn the call and award the hosts a 2-1 advantage.
As halftime approached, tensions escalated, culminating in a heated confrontation between the two teams and several yellow cards issued on both sides. Freese was called upon again in stoppage time, producing a critical save to deny Ángulo and keep the deficit at one.
The second half picked up where the first left off—fast-paced and fiercely contested. Maxi Ojeda recorded NYCFC’s first effort of the half, but his close-range attempt was blocked. Toluca answered with a chance of their own through Helinho, whose sharp footwork led to a low strike that Freese gathered.
Just before the hour mark, Jansen introduced Julián Fernández, Hannes Wolf, and Jonny Shore in a triple change, replacing Ojeda, Nicolás Fernández Mercau, and Strahinja Tanasijević. The impact was nearly immediate. Helinho clipped the base of the post with a curling effort, and moments later, Fernández came agonizingly close to an equalizer, hammering a shot off the crossbar.
Andrés Perea tested the Toluca goalkeeper with a shot on target, but again found no reward. Jansen made his final substitution in the 83rd minute, bringing on Seymour Reid for Justin Haak.
Despite their best efforts and an energetic push in the closing stages, New York City FC were unable to find a breakthrough. A disciplined and resilient Toluca defense held firm, handing NYCFC a narrow but decisive 2-1 defeat—and bringing their Leagues Cup campaign to a disappointing close.
How We Lined Up
