The defense of the title begins in typical New York City FC, with an uninspiring loss.
The 1-0 defeat to LA Galaxy marks the third year in a row that NYCFC lost the opening game by one goal. In 2021, DC United won 2-1. In 2020, Columbus defeated the Pigeons in manager Ronny Deila’s first MLS match by a score of 1-0.
The 2022 season continues this opening day streak, and while both of the previous seasons turned out to be mostly satisfactory, there is still room for game reactions—even overreactions.