New York City FC Downed by CF Montréal, 1-0

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MLS New York City FC

New York City FC Downed by CF Montréal, 1-0

June 28, 2025 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
New York City FC News Release


New York City FC returned to MLS play on Saturday night, but slipped to a 1-0 defeat at the hands of CF Montréal at Stade Saputo. The Boys in Blue fell to Victor Loturi's first-half strike, and were unable to salvage a point in Canada.

Match Recap

The clash marked the City Boys' first game back after a 16-day break - the team's last action: the emphatic 4-0 win over Atlanta United at Yankee Stadium. The Boys in Blue headed into Saturday night's fixture undefeated in five of their last six, since last facing Montréal in the reverse fixture.

Head Coach Pascal Jansen was absent from the dugout for the trip north of the border, having returned to Europe for a personal matter. Assistant Coach and former City midfielder Mehdi Ballouchy led the team from the sidelines.

With goalkeeper Matt Freese and striker Alonso Martínez on international duty with the United States and Costa Rica respectively (and the pair set to face off in Sunday's Gold Cup quarterfinal), New York fielded an unchanged starting XI from the side that triumphed against Atlanta. Tomás Romero took his place between the posts, having made history last time out, becoming the youngest goalkeeper to record a shutout for the Boys in Blue on his first MLS start.

Montréal entered the encounter without a home win so far in 2025, though Marco Donadel's side had claimed a narrow victory over New York in the Bronx last month. Desperate to kickstart their campaign, the home side started the brighter of the two sides, mounting a couple of early ventures into the final third, without really troubling the City defense.

New York would come closest to opening the scoring in the first 10 minutes however, as Julián Fernández picked up a loose pass in the center and found Agustín Ojeda down the right. Ojeda's cross took a wicked deflection off Luca Petrasso and bounced goalward - only for Jonathan Sirois to somehow scramble the ball off the line and onto the post, before smothering the ball.

As the Boys in Blue gained a foothold in the contest, Fernández forced Sirois into another smart save on 11' with a powerful drive from the edge of the area, before Hannes Wolf's curling effort was deflected over the bar.

Mounsef Bakrar then almost capitalized on George Campbell's defensive error to carve a promising chance, but the Montréal defender recovered in time to deny the Algerian international a clear shot on goal.

It would be Montreal who would draw first blood, breaking the deadlock midway through the first half. Dante Sealy was the creator, collecting Tom Pearce's floated cross-field pass, cutting inside, and firing towards the far post. Romero was equal to the shot, but the rebound fell kindly for Loturi on the edge of the area, and the midfielder slotted low and hard into the back of the net.

In search of a first-half leveler, New York looked to threaten down the right flank, with the lively Ojeda looking to conjure some magic - but the hosts' defense held firm to maintain their slender advantage heading into the break.

Jonny Shore was introduced at the half in place of Ojeda, as the visitors sought for a positive start to the second period. Wolf flashed a dangerous delivery across goal after a well-worked, free-flowing move had turned defense into attack, and Birk Risa was unable to divert his header goalward from Fernández's corner.

At the other end, Campbell skewed a half-volley wide, while Romero had to be alert to claw away a looping Pearce cross, and block another low Sealy drive. Petrasso also hit the side-netting, as he looked to steal in at the backpost shortly after the hour.

City stepped up their search for an equalizer, and Tayvon Gray, Kevin O'Toole, and Seymour Reid were introduced to bolster the visitors' attacking threat.

Wolf curled goalward but watched his effort deflect wide, and Bakrar dragged a shot off-target from the resulting corner. Wolf and Andrés Perea were also unable to find the net, heading straight at Sirois and over the bar.

On 68', Romero produced an excellent stop to prevent the hosts from doubling their advantage, stretching to superbly tip Jules-Anthony Vilsaint's attempt past the post.

In response, Bakrar drove forward and let fly on the counter - only to see his strike blocked - while Thiago Martins glanced a header over late on.

In the final minutes, Romero kept City in the contest, claiming Pearce's low drive, and racing out to thwart Montréal top scorer Prince Owusu in the dying embers - but ultimately, one goal would prove enough to earn the points for the home side.

With a return to the Five Boroughs in midweek ahead of a four-game road stretch, the Boys in Blue will aim to bounce back at the first opportunity, hoping to kick off a crucial run - and Independence Day celebrations - in style.

What's Next

New York City welcome Toronto FC to Yankee Stadium on Thursday, July 3, in a 7:30 PM ET kickoff at Yankee Stadium.

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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