It feels like every time New York City FC meet Columbus Crew, there’s drama. This NYCFC vs Columbus Crew September 2025 MLS match isn’t just another fixture on the calendar—it’s about pride, playoff momentum, and proving who really runs the East.
The Columbus Crew are coming in as defending champions, and you can feel that swagger in the way they play. They just pulled off a crazy 5–4 win the other week, which shows their attack is alive, but their defense can be shaky. On the other side, NYCFC has been up and down all season. Sometimes they look sharp, other times they look flat. With players like Alonso Martínez stepping up and a noisy Yankee Stadium behind them, they’ll fancy their chances of knocking the champs down a peg.
Match Details
Date: Saturday, 14 September 2025
Kick-off: 7:30 PM ET (USA), 12:30 AM BST (UK), 5:00 AM IST (India)
Venue: Yankee Stadium, New York
Where to watch: Apple TV – MLS Season Pass worldwide
Team News – September 2025 Updates
NYCFC is dealing with a few problems. Thiago Martins has been in and out of training, and Malachi Jones is sidelined, and which puts pressure on their backline. Nick Cushing will lean heavily on James Sands in midfield to steady things, while Martínez is the danger man up top.
For the Columbus Crew, Rudy Camacho picked up a knock recently, and that could open the door for NYCFC’s attackers. But the Crew still has big names—Cucho Hernández is in form, and Aidan Morris keeps things ticking in the middle. If Columbus gets their passing rhythm, they’re almost impossible to stop.
Image – New York City FC (Official)
Recent Form
NYCFC: W-D-L-W-L – inconsistent but showing fight at home.
Columbus: W-W-L-D-W – scoring plenty, but conceding just as much.
This is exactly why the game is so hard to call. New York’s home advantage could cancel out Columbus’ star power.
Head-to-Head (Last 5 Meetings)
Columbus 2–1 NYCFC (Leagues Cup 2025)
NYCFC 1–0 Columbus (MLS 2024)
Columbus 3–2 NYCFC (MLS 2024)
NYCFC 2–2 Columbus (MLS 2023)
Columbus 1–0 NYCFC (MLS 2023)
Columbus have the edge recently, especially with that Leagues Cup win still fresh, but NYCFC won’t forget they can beat them at Yankee Stadium.
New York City FC vs Columbus Crew (Lineups)
New York City FC (4-2-3-1)
| Position | Player |
|---|---|
| GK | M. Freese |
| RB | T. Gray |
| CB | T. Martins |
| CB | R. Gustavo |
| LB | K. O’Toole |
| CM | J. Haak |
| CM | A. O’Neill |
| RW | H. Wolf |
| CAM | M. Moralez |
| LW | N. Fernández |
| ST | A. Martínez |
Columbus Crew (4-4-2)
| Position | Player |
|---|---|
| GK | P. Schulte |
| RB | M. Herrera |
| CB | S. Moreira |
| CB | Y. Cheberko |
| LB | M. Amundsen |
| RM | D. Gazdag |
| CM | D. Chambost |
| CM | D. Nagbe |
| LM | M. Arfsten |
| ST | W. Abou Ali |
| ST | D. Rossi |
Key Battles to Watch
Martínez vs Columbus defense – If Camacho doesn’t play, this is where NYCFC can hurt them.
Cucho Hernández vs NYCFC’s backline – He only needs one chance, and that’s dangerous for New York.
Midfield control (Sands vs Aidan Morris) – Whoever owns this battle probably wins the game.
Image – Major League Soccer (Official)
Prediction – NYCFC vs Columbus Crew September 2025
I’ll be honest, this doesn’t feel like a boring 0–0. Both teams score goals, both teams leak goals. Columbus might be champions, but NYCFC are stubborn at home.
My call? NYCFC 2–1 Columbus Crew.
Martínez on the scoresheet, Cucho gets one back, and the home fans leave happy.
Featured Image – Major League Soccer (Official)
By
