Pascal Jansen expressed his want to instil a successful tradition at New York Metropolis FC, forward of their first recreation of the 2026 marketing campaign towards the Los Angeles Galaxy.
Having completed fifth within the Japanese Convention standings final yr, NYCFC beat Charlotte FC over three matches in Spherical One to maintain their postseason rolling on.
NYCFC then defeated the Philadelphia Union 1-0 within the semi-finals earlier than happening to lose 5-1 to Inter Miami within the last, with Tadeo Allende scoring a sensational hat-trick for the Herons, who went on to carry the MLS Cup.
Although NYCFC earned plaudits for his or her exhibiting in 2025, Jansen, who’s making ready for his second full season in cost, desires extra from his staff.
“To maintain it easy, we did a fairly respectable job final season, however we wish extra,” Jansen stated. “We wish to achieve success, which implies we now have to do higher than we did final season.
“Step one has been put on the market. We reached the Convention last, which was achievement, however on the finish of the day, we didn’t win something.
“So we’re aiming to attempt to set up a successful tradition, and that implies that it’s a must to be able to successful extra matches and to do this it’s a must to be extra constant.”
Kicking off the season out west pic.twitter.com/opaPZLsmsd
— New York Metropolis FC (@newyorkcityfc) February 19, 2026
The Galaxy, in the meantime, endured a yr to neglect, ending 14th within the Western Convention simply 12 months after lifting their sixth MLS Cup.
Greg Vanney’s facet have already begun their 2026 season, opening their CONCACAF Champions Cup marketing campaign with an underwhelming 1-1 draw with Sporting San Miguelito.
It was a recreation they dominated, having registered an anticipated objectives (xG) whole of two.08 from 18 pictures, in comparison with their opponents’ 0.32 from 5 makes an attempt at purpose.
And talking after the sport at Estadio Universitario, Vanney conceded that his staff have loads of areas to enhance on earlier than welcoming NYCFC to Los Angeles.
“We didn’t make the most of the conditions we created, they usually began to clearly throw numbers a little bit decrease and attempt to clog some extra issues up,” Vanney stated.
“After which I felt like we grew to become stagnant and stopped transferring, interchanging and doing any actions that may create collaborative actions, third-man actions, issues like that.
“For us, our recreation must be sooner. Our actions have to be higher. So, these are issues we’ve obtained to enhance upon as we proceed to maneuver ahead into the season.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
LA Galaxy – Joseph Paintsil
Having completed because the membership’s prime scorer within the MLS final season, Paintsil can be hoping to hit the bottom working with a purpose towards NYCFC.
Towards Sporting San Miguelito, he completed the match with team-high totals for pictures on the right track (two), profitable dribbles (4) and whole duels (11).
NYCFC – Alonso Martinez
Martinez scored 9 objectives in street matches within the 2025 common season, tied for the second-most in a marketing campaign in NYCFC historical past (behind David Villa – 10 in 2016).
Eight of these 9 objectives got here within the second half, giving Martinez essentially the most second-half street objectives in a single season in NYCFC historical past.
MATCH PREDICTION: DRAW
The LA Galaxy have received their final two conferences with NYCFC after the Pigeons had received every of the earlier 4.
The Galaxy stored clear sheets in each wins after failing to take action in any of their first 5 conferences with NYCFC.
They usually begin the brand new season at Dignity Well being Sports activities Park. All seven of the Galaxy’s regular-season wins in 2025 got here at dwelling, making them the primary staff with seven or extra wins in a single common season, all of which got here at dwelling, for the reason that Portland Timbers in 2016 (12).
Together with 2026, NYCFC have opened their season on the street in all 12 of their MLS campaigns. They’ve received solely two of their earlier 11 season-openers (D3 L6), having gone winless within the final seven (D2 L5) relationship again to 2019.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
LA Galaxy – 39.6%
Draw – 26.6%
NYCFC – 33.8%
