\u2022 Apple Broadcast Team: Callum Williams and Lori Lindsey (English), Bruno Vain and Andres Agulla (Spanish)<\/p>\n
\u2022\u00a0New York City FC Radio<\/a>: Glenn Crooks and Matty Lawrence (English), Roberto Abramowitz and Ariel Judas (Spanish)<\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0Officiating Crew<\/a>: Chris Penso (referee), Kathryn Nesbitt and Eric Weisbrod (assistant referees), Luis Diego Arroyo (4th official), Daniel Radford and Jonathan Johnson (VAR)<\/p>\n \u2022 Kits: New York City are in the sky-blue Excelsior Kit<\/a>, Philadelphia in the dark-blue 1776 Kit<\/a> introduced this season<\/p>\n It’s Matchday 2, and New York City FC is in the suburbs of the City of Brotherly Love to face Philadelphia Union. Both teams are looking for their first win of the season after NYCFC drew LA Galaxy 1-1<\/a> on the road despite finishing up a player, and the Union lost to DC United after former Philadelphia striker Tai Baribo scored against his old team. <\/p>\n If New York City are to get the win, they’ll need to compensate for the lack of a proper No 9: Last week, the squad combined for zero shots on target from open play, with the team’s lone goal courtesy of a penalty converted by Nico Fern\u00e1ndez Mercau.<\/p>\n Nico will likely serve as the team’s nominal No 9 again today, even though, as Andrew Leigh noted<\/a> in these pages, he isn\u2019t a traditional striker. Instead, he prefers “to drop into the midfield” and “try to cut in from the wide areas.” Or, we might get a longer look at Talles Magno, who appeared as a late-game substitute in Los Angeles. Could he return<\/a> to the striker role that was handed to him in 2023, and that he was asked to hand back in 2024?<\/p>\n On the other end of the field, a rebuilt Philadelphia are looking to discover their league form. The team that won the Supporters’ Shield last year lost key players in Baribo, defender Jakob Glesnes, and wingback Kai Wagner \u2014 Philadelphia are known for shedding their skin every offseason, moving established players in order to bring in new talent, so there\u2019s nothing new here. But they will be without their marquee signing this transfer window after striker Ezequiel Alladoh earned a red card against DC, thinning out the squad. <\/p>\n The referee today will be Chris Penso, who officiated three New York City games last year \u2014 all of which were 1-0 losses. Penso called more fouls on NYCFC than on their opponents by a combined 46 to 26, and showed the Pigeons more yellow cards by a combined 7 to 4.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n How Nico Fern\u00e1ndez Mercau plays striker<\/p>\n While he\u2019s currently Pascal Jansen\u2019s preferred option to fill in for the injured Alonso Mart\u00ednez, Nico takes a very different approach to playing as New York City FC\u2019s center-forward.<\/p>\n G 27 This post is for paying subscribers only![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Nico-fernandez-mercau-running-MD1-New-York-City-FC-Hudson-River-Blue-1.jpg\")
<\/a>New York City vs Philadelphia H2H<\/p>\n
\nW
\nD
\nL
\nGF
\nGA
\nGD<\/p>\n
\n13
\n2
\n12
\n37
\n39
\n-2<\/p>\n
\n Subscribe now<\/a><\/p>\n