The season is slowly coming to a close, and the playoff picture begins to take shape. Both New York City FC and the New York Red Bulls have to secure their playoff chances as soon as possible to avoid any last-minute surprises from the teams below them. New York City FC returned home after a hurtful defeat against Inter Miami CF. The New York Red Bulls also had to bounce back after the defeat against D.C. United. However, they returned home with a 3-point advantage, so they were still within the playoff zone. But after the results over the weekend, both teams will have to go undefeated in their remaining games or hope that other results play in their favor.

Decisive fixtures ahead

New York City FC had the difficult task of hosting LAFC in only their second trip to the East Coast. While they have not been the dominant team from previous seasons, they have the talent to win a game despite any issues they could be facing. Heung Min Son, Bouanga, and Hugo Lloris drew a big crowd to Citi Field for a very entertaining game. The visitors used the wings to create their attacks with Jacob Shaffelburg and Heung Min Son as the driving force behind LAFC. Nevertheless, New York City held a compact line and neutralized Bouanga and company for the majority of the first half.

Leo Walta gave LAFC the advantage with a perfect free kick that left Matt Freese with no chance of saving it. Walta scored his first goal with LAFC and left the hosts with more pressure ahead of the second half. New York City FC did manage to get the equalizer in the 59th minute after a header from Andres Perea from a corner kick. It was the perfect way to get back into the game and showcase the fighting spirit that had been missing in previous games. The downside to the draw, however, is that it made the game far more physical and left no spaces to build up any attack on both sides. The teams adapted a high-pressing system, so there was little to no action unless you shot from distance. The game was only a shot to the post away from ending in disappointment for New York City. Heung Min Son was left unmarked in a counterattack, but his shot hit the post. The team pulled off a valuable result against a difficult opponent; however, had it not been for a combination of results, the playoff fight could have been over.

The New York Red Bulls couldn’t seize the opportunity to solidify their place in the playoff fight. They suffered consecutive defeats against Toronto FC, lost their 3-point advantage over the teams below them, and gave them a lifeline ahead of the remaining games. However, the remaining opponents for the Red Bulls include Inter Miami CF, New England Revolution, and Nashville. All three teams are among the top 5 in the conference, so if they are unable to pick up points in ⅔ of their games, they could be outside the playoffs before Decision Day. They will be looking to see the best versions of players like Julian Hall and Adri Mehmeti to make a push for the playoffs. It would be unfortunate to see two promising talents miss the playoffs.

The scenario for New York City FC is similar, but their fate could be decided in the match against Atlanta United on October 28th. The reason why I say this is because both New York City FC and Atlanta could decide who goes into Decision Day with better chances. A win in that match could decide the playoff wildcard team. This, of course, is without considering their match against Orlando City. Realistically, they also have to win ⅔ of their games, but they have dropped more points than any of the other teams involved. Nevertheless, they all depend on FC Cincinnati and DC United to play their pending matches to see their chances before Decision Day. If both DC United and Cincinnati pick up points from their pending games, it could spell the end for playoff hopes, at least for New York City FC.

But let’s not jump ahead just yet; there are games to be played, and capital upsets to witness. Who knows, we could see both New York teams make the playoffs. Or maybe DC United coming from behind and getting a playoff spot on the final day of the regular season. The possibilities are now endless.