Keys to the Match: Kings of Queens
MLS New York City FC

Keys to the Match: Kings of Queens

Published on April 16, 2026 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
New York City FC News Release


New York City FC take on Charlotte FC at Citi Field on Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 PM ET.

Here are the Keys to the Match, presented by Ford.

Goals Galore

Charlotte FC have certainly put on some entertaining matches of late. Four of their last five games in MLS have produced a minimum of three goals.

Included in that run was a 6-1 victory against the Red Bulls. Leading the scoring charts for Charlotte is forward Pep Biel with four goals. Following closely behind are Archie Goodwin with three, and Idan Tokolomati and Wilfried Zaha with two each.

Meanwhile, three of New York City's last five games have featured at least three goals. Unsurprisingly, that has New York City and Charlotte on similar goal-difference totals, with only one goal separating the teams.

Kings of Queens

New York City FC are back at Citi Field on Saturday night.

Last time out in Queens, a frustrating stoppage-time goal forced the team to settle for a 1-1 draw against St. Louis CITY SC.

Despite that, New York City FC's record in Queens remains strong. Playing at Citi Field consistently produces a fun and exciting atmosphere, and that only further motivates the players to perform at their best. This is the first of four home games in their next five MLS matches.

That represents a major opportunity to solidify their position near the top of the Eastern Conference, and it starts with a positive result on Saturday against Charlotte.

Busy Week

Before Charlotte FC come to town, New York City FC had a U.S. Open Cup fixture against Westchester SC.

Pascal Jansen's side emerged as 5-2 winners on Tuesday night, with Agustín Ojeda and Talles Magno grabbing the headlines. There were also first starts and debuts for several young players, with one of those players, Arnau Farós, adding his name to the scoresheet in the first half.

Those performances will give Jansen food for thought heading into this weekend as he debates form versus freshness when selecting his starting XI.

Check out the New York City FC Statistics

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