New York Metropolis FC head coach Pascal Jansen insisted he’s not frightened about Alonso Martinez’s health ranges.
Martinez scored a 91st-minute winner for NYCFC in opposition to Jap Convention rivals Orlando Metropolis final day trip to finish a late comeback of their 2-1 victory.
The striker has now began three consecutive video games since coming back from the CONCACAF Gold Cup with Costa Rica.
Costa Rica completed second of their group on seven factors earlier than shedding to america on penalties within the quarter-finals, the place Martinez scored in each common time and the shootout.
Regardless of taking part in a variety of video games in current months, Jansen will not be troubled by Martinez’s long-term health heading into their subsequent fixture in opposition to Sporting Kansas Metropolis.
Jansen stated after the Orlando win: “We’re all very pleased with what he [Martinez] achieved in the course of the Gold Cup. Sadly, they misplaced to the US, however that makes us completely satisfied too, as a result of we had [our] goalkeeper Matt Freese on the opposite facet.
“I really like working with him [Martinez], he is a superb crew participant. A really completely satisfied spirit within the dressing room as properly.
“He’s going by a tricky time for the time being. Typically he appears to be like a bit of drained from all of the video games he has performed. He’s a quantity 9; he lives off his targets.
“Such as you noticed, he missed an enormous alternative. However we stored him within the recreation, and I instructed the blokes within the dressing room, so long as we’ve got his again, he will probably be okay, and he’ll get again to his regular stage.
“And he bought us that objective which gave us the win ultimately.”
Midwest Matchup on deck pic.twitter.com/NQiuwjb1rO
— New York Metropolis FC (@newyorkcityfc) July 18, 2025
Sporting KC suffered a setback of their push for a playoff spot, shedding 3-2 to the Seattle Sounders final day trip on the again of a three-game unbeaten streak.
Kansas Metropolis are six factors behind ninth-place San Jose Earthquakes within the Western Convention, however have performed one recreation fewer.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Sporting Kansas Metropolis – Dejan Joveljic
Dejan Joveljic has been essential for Sporting KC this season. He’s their main scorer with 13 targets, which is tied for the fourth highest among the many league’s high scorers in 2025.
Joveljic is the second Kansas Metropolis participant this season to report a streak of 4 residence matches with a objective contribution.
The final Kansas Metropolis participant to register a streak of no less than 5 video games was Johnny Russell (six straight) in August-October 2021.
New York Metropolis FC – Alonso Martinez
Martinez is NYCFC’s joint-top scorer this season, alongside Hannes Wolf on 9 targets.
Martinez turned the fifth participant in membership historical past to attain 25 regular-season targets together with his winner in opposition to Orlando.
He reached this milestone within the second-fewest video games performed (48) with solely David Villa reaching the mark in fewer video games (40).
MATCH PREDICTION – DRAW
NYCFC picked up their first street win since April after defeating Orlando. It was the membership’s first time with a number of targets in a street win since September 2024 on the New York Pink Bulls. NYCFC haven’t scored a number of targets in consecutive away video games since Could 2024.
With a pair of second-half targets in opposition to Seattle, Sporting KC have now tallied 23 second-half targets this season – tied for third most in MLS. 12 of Kansas Metropolis’s 16 targets scored of their lively eight-game scoring streak have been second-half targets.
Since Kansas Metropolis gained the primary two conferences in opposition to New York in 2015 and 2016, NYCFC have gained three of the final 4 matches (D1) within the fixture. NYCFC have three clear sheets in these matches, outscoring Kansas Metropolis, 6-1.
Of their final six league matches, Sporting KC have gained two, drawn one and misplaced three. NYCFC, in the meantime, have gained three, drawn one and misplaced two of their final six.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Sporting Kansas Metropolis – 35.5%
Draw – 26.1%
New York Metropolis FC – 38.4%