James Sands’ goal helps NYCFC snap four-game skid with draw against Revolution

It wasn’t a win, but Sunday’s 1-1 draw against the New England Revolution was the closest New York City FC has come to one in nearly a month.

James Sands’ equalizer in stoppage time in the first half of Sunday’s match at Gillette Stadium snapped NYCFC’s four-game losing streak, which includes two losses in Leagues Cup, and helped the club pick up a valuable point in the standings.

The past week has been a tough one for the club, which squandered a 2-0 lead to the Philadelphia Union last Sunday in a loss and then followed it up with a 2-1 defeat to FC Cincinnati off a goal surrendered in the 90th minute.

New England Revolution forward Dor Turgeman (99) and New York City FC midfielder James Sands (6) work for the ball in the second half at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on Sunday, Aug. 23, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“The fact of the matter is, we are coming off a few bad results. Played pretty decent in the majority of the games, but didn’t get the results that we were looking for,” NYCFC head coach Pascal Jansen said. “In this game, knowing that you play against the Revs in good shape, good form, at home, it’s very important that you stay in the game. And the second half was clearly a factor of both teams getting more fatigued as the game went on.

“And then you come to a point where you have to settle for a draw, and that is what we needed in order to get away from the performances that we’ve made so far.”

Going into Sunday’s match, NYCFC had gone 1W-1D-4L between Leagues Cup and MLS play since the club defeated the Chicago Fire at Yankee Stadium on July 25.

The Revolution had jumped to a 1-0 lead with a goal from Dor Turgeman in the 36th minute, finishing off an impressive touch by Peyton Miller to get Turgeman the ball for the goal.

Nicolás Fernández looks to move the ball for NYCFC during its match against the New England Revolution on Aug. 23. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Sands tied the game roughly 10 minutes later when he fired a shot from close range after Talles Magno headed the ball to him off a corner kick.

Magno appeared to have been hurt at some point just before the goal and was subbed out in the second half.

Jansen said he pulled a muscle in his leg, though he didn’t provide too much detail about the injury beyond that.