New York City FC pulled off a third straight Hudson River Derby win thanks to three perfectly-executed corner kicks from Maxi Moralez, finished off by three different center-backs for a resounding 3-1 win inside Sports Illustrated Stadium on Wednesday night to advance to the quarterfinals of the US Open Cup.
After the match, Pascal Jansen and his squad applauded the efforts on set pieces, and of the forever-young Moralez in attacking midfield. At 39 years old, Moralez still leads the New York City squad with 10 goal contributions across all competitions in 2026, along with holding a share for the second most assists in MLS with six already.
"You could feel the confidence coming back into the team. Set pieces on our end were back to the level where we left off last season," Jansen said as he opened his post-match press conference.
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Malachi Jones made headlines as well, returning to the Starting XI for the first time in over 22 months, and earning his first start under Pascal Jansen since breaking his leg vs Orlando City in June 2024. The devastating collision that left both Jones and Orlando goalkeeper Mason Stajduhar stretchered off with broken legs, and it required two surgeries and an extensive recovery before the Sierra Leone native could return to the first-team squad this spring.
