New York City FC host FC Cincinnati at Citi Field on Sunday afternoon.
Here are the Keys to the Match, presented by Ford.
Fortress
New York City FC have found early success at home in 2025, with three of the team’s last four wins coming in the Five Boroughs.
Those results have included victories against an in-form Philadelphia Union and a free-scoring Orlando City. Losing just one of their first four home games has helped City stay above the playoff line, with strong home form vital for a team aspiring to challenge at the top of the table.
While City did suffer a disappointing narrow defeat to Minnesota United at the start of April, they will now have the chance to make it four wins from five home games this Sunday.
Shootout
Both New York City FC and FC Cincinnati boast in-form strikers in Alonso Martínez and Kévin Denkey.
The Togolese international arrived for big money in the offseason from Cercle Brugge and has wasted no time finding the net.
Currently sitting on six goals—the same total as Martínez—Denkey is the lone forward in Pat Noonan’s 3-4-3 formation. His form is a major reason why Cincinnati find themselves atop the Eastern Conference after ten games, with his brace in their last outing helping Cincy edge past Sporting KC.
He will now go face-to-face with City’s star striker Martínez, who notched his sixth goal of the season against Toronto FC. Both teams will be focused on providing service for their leading scorers, setting up the potential for a classic shootout at Citi Field on Sunday as both look to boost their goal tallies for the campaign.
Queens
Being back in the World’s Borough is always a fun time for New York City FC.
Sunday’s game at Citi Field presents an opportunity to make more good memories in Queens. New York City lost just one of their six regular-season outings at Citi Field in 2024, picking up 11 points from a possible 15.
They kicked off 2025 with a win against the Union in Queens and will now hope to add to that tally again on Sunday. The weather forecast looks good, meaning there’s no reason to miss out.
