This New York City FC season continued to unravel at Nu Stadium as Inter Miami CF earned a comfortable 2-0 win thanks to a pair of first-half goals.
It's now just one win from the last 12 MLS matches played for New York City, as they never recovered after Germán Berterame opened the scoring for Miami in the 20th minute, tapping home a centering cross from Luis Suárez, who was left unmarked by the left side of the New York City defense then picked out with a lofted pass into the box from Rodrigo De Paul.
De Paul later helped Miami put the game to bed on the stroke of halftime when he powered a shot into the top corner past Matt Freese, a goal assisted by Lionel Messi. Messi, like Suárez before him, was able to find an open pocket of space in which to operate while a few NYCFC defenders and defensive midfielders were caught out in transition and caught out of position.
Both Miami goals came off far too easily, especially against an attack as dangerous as Miami's, and especially while NYCFC struggled to create many great chances of their own.
Nicolás Fernández Mercau was the lone consistent attacking threat on the night, responsible for all five of New York City's shots on target. He tested Dayne St. Clair twice in the first half, NYCFC's only shots on target before the interval, but both shots were speculative and from distance.
Nico got his most glorious opportunity to find the back of the net for what would have been a consolation goal deep into second-half stoppage time after Talles Magno, returning from an injury absence, drew a penalty when fouled by Ian Fray.
Yet in a fitting turn of events for how things are going late in this season for NYCFC, Fernández Mercau's penalty was hit low and within reach of St. Clair, who saved the PK and preserved his clean sheet, sending the visitors back to New York reeling and now winless in their last four matches.
Miami: 2.23 xG, 14 shots, 6 shots on target, 57% possession, 661 passes, 91% pass accuracy, 14 fouls, 3 corners, 5 saves
New York City: 1.47 xG, 14 shots, 5 shots on target, 43% possession, 486 passes, 90% pass accuracy, 8 fouls, 4 corners, 4 saves
Goals:
• Miami, Germán Berterame, 20'
Miami, Rodrigo De Paul, 45'+5'
Freese keeps the scoreline respectable
Miami could have had four or five goals if not for some excellent saves made by Matt Freese in this loss. Extra scrutiny rested upon Freese going into this match after a mistake from the keeper while trying to pass the ball out of the back cost NYCFC a result last time out against Chicago Fire FC, but Freese's shot-stopping was the lone highlight of the night for the losing side.
He kept Miami from opening the scoring the 12th minute by scrambling across his goal to deny a header from Sergio Reguilón, which let NYCFC off the hook but only temporarily. Freese's two most impressive saves came late in the second half, first in the 84th minute when he got down to save a shot from Messi after the Argentine legend got behind NYCFC's defense and only had Freese to beat.
His best individual stop came in the 91st minute, as Freese got airborne and got full extension in order to get a hand on a long-range strike from Rodrigo De Paul that looked destined to be De Paul's second goal of the night. Instead, Freese redirected the shot onto the post and out of danger, letting NYCFC retain the slimmest bit of hope as the final whistle approached.
¡Qué atajada de Matt Freese! 🧤🇺🇸 El portero de @newyorkcityfc evitó lo que iba a ser un golazo de Rodrigo de Paul. 🙅♂️ https://t.co/8pP5xK5xfs
— MLS Español (@MLSes) October 15, 2026
If you wanted something, anything, positive to reflect on from what was a pretty limp effort from NYCFC in this one, it was Freese's performance. Nothing he could do about either goal Miami scored, but the 28-year-old keeper did his part to at least keep this match competitive in the second half.
Some big squad questions remain unanswered
New York City FC has a clear left-back problem but it's not clear which player on the roster can solve it. Nico Cavallo, who was removed at halftime in Chicago in what Pascal Jansen described as a tactical change, got the start once again in Miami, and was culpable on both Miami goals.
The first was the biggest mess-up by the defender, as he was caught ball-watching and totally lost track of Luis Suárez. Cavallo was also caught out of position in transition as Miami pushed forward in what was the fifth minute added on at the end of the first half, with the left-back unable to block a pass sent toward Messi, then unable to get back to a useful defensive area to either deny Messi a chance to pass to De Paul, or to deny De Paul's shot, what would become the second goal.
Kevin O'Toole again replaced Cavallo in the second half, just as he did in Chicago, but O'Toole's performances haven't been much better since returning from surgery earlier this summer. Neither Cavallo nor O'Toole has raised their hand and made a case for themselves as a reliable defensive presence on the left, and Miami exploited that weakness twice.
Then there's the attacking setup. Fernández Mercau was the only player really threatening Miami's defense, as this was another match in which $9 million Designated Player Bénie Traoré was ineffective and kept off the scoresheet. Traoré did get the start against Miami and did actually attempt a shot, both rarities for him in recent matches, but he once again had no standout attacking moments, and once again got hooked for a substitute, this time coming off for Luighi in the 65th minute.
Whether it was Alonso Martínez or Luighi at striker, neither player up top distinguished themselves. Martínez, making a second straight start as he works his way back from the ACL injury suffered last November, didn't attempt a shot and lost possession six times, lasting only 58 minute before being removed.
Luighi had probably the clearest scoring chance of the night for NYCFC in the 81st minute, when Kevin O'Toole picked him out in a pocket of space between two Miami defenders with a perfectly-placed cross. The young Brazilian, though, couldn't get his header on target, one of two shot attempts from the 20-year-old that didn't actually test Dayne St. Clair.
Left-back, left-wing, and striker all seem like unsettled spots on this NYCFC squad, not an ideal position to be in with only five matches remaining this season. The playoff picture is only getting bleaker for NYCFC as the winless matches pile up.
The loss keeps NYCFC stuck on 33 points, and keeps them three points behind Red Bull New York and FC Cincinnati, who each also lost their midweek matches. The teams below 10th-place NYCFC didn't lose, though, as DC United beat the Red Bulls and Toronto FC got a draw against Orlando City SC, while Columbus Crew and Atlanta United FC won. So NYCFC is now one of three teams on 33 points, the Crew is right behind that group with 32 points, and even Atlanta, who still has a match to play against NYCFC in a few weeks, is in shouting distance at 30 points.
The playoffs can't be ruled out just yet, but NYCFC is in an increasingly precarious position and could slip down near the very bottom of the Eastern Conference if the club doesn't start picking up points.
It won't get any easier since they next host LAFC on Matchday 30 at Citi Field, a return home for NYCFC that comes at a time when the squad looks unsettled, unable to piece together a full 90-minute performance, and nothing like the team that made it to the Eastern Conference final against Inter Miami one season ago. Miami clinched a playoff spot with this win and they could very well march right back to the Conference final, while it looks like it might take a minor miracle for NYCFC to even end up in ninth place before this season ends.
