Jansen Challenges NYCFC to Turn Control into Goals: “We Need to Do More with the Ball”

New York City FC is looking to bounce back from a pair of frustrating defeats in Major League Soccer, having fallen to Atlanta United and Minnesota United in consecutive games. The pressure is now on as head coach Pascal Jansen urges his squad to turn their possession-based style into tangible results.

Before this rough patch, NYCFC had gone three games unbeaten, showing signs of progress. But as Jansen pointed out in his pre-match comments ahead of the clash with Philadelphia Union, the next step is turning control into conversion — and ultimately, consistency.

“A huge part is that we’re trying to control every game,” Jansen explained. “The Minnesota game was a different challenge because that opponent doesn’t need the ball. They don’t want to have it as much as you’d expect. That played a big part in why we had so much control.”

Indeed, City dominated the ball for long stretches against Minnesota — but failed to capitalize. Jansen acknowledged that the team had opportunities to tilt the momentum, but didn't take them.

“Like I told your colleague just now,” he added, “there were a few big moments where we needed to open up the game to get back into it.”

What followed, instead, were costly goals conceded, giving Minnesota the advantage and leaving City chasing a game they couldn't fully recover from.

“Conceding the way we did doesn’t help—it puts them in a good spot,” Jansen said. “So for us, it’s still a challenge to not only maintain possession and control games but also to create bigger and better chances from that control.”

It’s a challenge that will define NYCFC’s season. The talent is there, and the system is in place — but as Jansen emphasized, it's about doing more in the final third, not just playing pretty in the middle of the pitch.

As City prepares to face a tough Philadelphia side, all eyes will be on whether they can turn lessons into action — and control into victory.