NYCFC held to draw in Toronto as winless streak hits six

Another draw on the road for New York City FC as the club's winless streak reached six matches thanks to a 1-1 with Toronto FC at BMO Field.

Nicolás Fernández Mercau scored in the 29th minute with New York City FC's first shot attempt of the match, curling a powerful low strike past Luka Gavran and into Toronto's goal.

Multiple Toronto defenders backed off the 26-year-old as he cut inside, and Fernández Mercau had just the right amounts of time and space to score his 14th of the season, putting him alone in third in the MLS Golden Boot race behind Petar Musa of FC Dallas in second and Lionel Messi of Inter Miami CF in first.

Toronto had the bulk of the dangerous chances created in this match and found an equalizer on the counterattack in the 70th minute, with substitute Dániel Sallói turning home a cross from Theo Corbeanu after Corbeanu found acres of space up the right flank, picked out with a long pass and able to play a dangerous low cross for Sallói.

Matt Freese had to work to hold Toronto to just the one goal scored in this one, as the New York City and United States men's national team goalkeeper made five saves in what was another strong performance to help NYCFC get a point.

This was two points dropped, though, as NYCFC took a lead out of nowhere in the first half and failed to either build on it, or hold onto it. The club has now dropped 14 points from winning positions this season after seeing this possible win in Toronto turn into a draw. That's why New York City FC still finds itself stuck in seventh place in the Eastern Conference, just barely above the playoff qualification line with a three-point edge still held over Toronto in 10th place.

More Nico brilliance

Of late, there's been far more discussion about Nico Fernández Mercau the transfer target than about Nico Fernández Mercau the MLS MVP candidate. He's been drawing $25 million offers from Sporting Kansas City, as well as interest from European suitors according to Tom Bogert, but he's

That New York City got anything from this trip to Toronto rests solely on the shoulders of the Argentine attacker, who got fed by countryman Agustín Ojeda and then made something for himself just outside the Toronto box.

Nicolás Fernández with the finish from deep and @NYCFC take the lead 💥

📺: https://t.co/D5cw0vCOFV pic.twitter.com/kyIi7EsvjP

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) August 30, 2026

It wasn't quite the camera-breaking blast he scored against the Chicago Fire at Yankee Stadium some weeks back, but it was another perfect strike from a player who has turned into a perfect focal point for the NYCFC attack this season.

After Nico's goal in the 29th minute, only one other shot got put on target by New York City over the remainder of the match, and that didn't arrive until second-half stoppage time when Mitja Ilenič tried to blast home a 97th-minute winner, only to be denied by the strong arms of Toronto's Luka Gavran.

The NYCFC attack was anemic but it got one moment to get it out of Canada with something.

Adjustments, then a concession

Pascal Jansen went to the bench in the 63rd minute and made a double-change, but his adjustment didn't have the desired effect, not nearly as helpful as the double-change made in the 40th minute in New England last weekend.

Bénie Traoré and Nico Cavallo made way for Kevin O'Toole and Raul Gustavo, but Jansen's choice to have Gustavo pushed out as the team's left-back, with O'Toole further upfield and acting as a left midfielder, cost NYCFC its lead. Gustavo, the usual left-footed center-back, got caught tucked too far in centrally, with Toronto's Alonso Coello playing a perfect long pass into space for Theo Corbeanu, who breezed past Gustavo, then centered to Sallói for the equalizer.

There's no guarantee having O'Toole or Cavallo as the defender at left-back there prevents the goal, but Jansen was quick to switch away from this defensive alignment, moving Raul Gustavo to center-back in place of Thiago Martins in the 75th minute, while O'Toole dropped to left-back and while Malachi Jones entered on the left of the NYCFC attack.

Jones couldn't find any dangerous moments during his cameo as an attacking sub, and the match petered out into the 1-1 draw it would finish as. This is the 10th time Toronto FC has played to a draw this season, tied for the most ties in MLS with DC United (who also played to a draw tonight elsewhere in the Eastern Conference "playoff race).

New York City can't be displeased to get an away draw, since winning on the road in MLS is not considered routine or easy to do. It's not an outright negative outcome, but there were very few positives to take from the three-match road trip that ended with this tie in Toronto.

The team's best all-around performance likely came in the opening game against FC Cincinnati, but that finished as a stoppage-time loss after NYCFC failed to score a second goal despite putting tons of shots on target in the second half and got burned once more by Evander.

One moment of disorganization defensively cost them a Sallói equalizer and two possibly vital points in the playoff race, and now NYCFC returns home to face the team at the very top of the Supporters' Shield standings, the tough-to-beat Nashville SC, as they come to town for Friday Night Futbol on September 4 at 7:30 pm ET at Yankee Stadium.

Highlights: Toronto FC vs New York City FC