For someone who didn’t know they were starting a match until 20 minutes before kick off, Malachi Jones was one of NYCFC’s brightest attacking sparks and made a nuisance of himself against D.C. United’s backline despite a 2-0 loss Sunday afternoon at Citi Field.
Brazilian winger Talles Magno picked up a calf injury during warm-ups, forcing head coach Pascal Jansen to pick Jones to slot in as part of a two-pronged attack alongside Agustin Ojeda.
“[Jones is] in the process of becoming more robust, closer to the 90 minutes,” Jansen said. “He fits the profile to play that left wing position perfectly, but we have to give him some time as well.”
He worked tirelessly in defense, tracking back when the team needed. He also used his quick feet to create chances for NYCFC and popped up in the right spots for attacking chances.
It was a promising start for the winger returning from a lengthy injury. He made his first start in MLS since June 2024, when he suffered a double-leg break in a full-sprint collision against Orlando City.
However, he was not ruled out for the 2024 season after undergoing surgery just days after breaking his right tibia and fibula. They hoped he was back in time for that season’s playoffs, but his recovery did not progress as well as hoped.
At the start of the 2025 season, the club announced that Jones would undergo another procedure to repair the fractured right tibia, missing another season of action.
After nearly two months out, Jones returned to the pitch in NYCFC colors for a 15-minute cameo in the 2-0 loss to Vancouver this season. He came off the bench for another 20-plus minute appearance in the U.S. Open Cup victory against Westchester SC, and then started the Round of 16 Hudson River Derby match against Red Bull New York. He was taken off at half-time for Magno in the 3-1 win.
“You have to be very creative, like we are with [Andres Perea] as well, coming back from a long-term injury, making sure that you use your creative solutions to give these guys play time because they have to get ready to compete at first team level again,” Jansen said. “But the team comes first always.”
Jones could not make much of an impact against RBNY, but showed glimpses of his quality against D.C. on Sunday. He had great, quick feet to get past a D.C. defender on the left flank and send a cross to Ojeda at the back-post, but it was overhit.
The two wingers repeatedly swapped flanks throughout the match, attempting to confuse D.C.’s fullbacks. It was a move fans have seen repeatedly from Jansen between Ojeda and Hannes Wolf, but the Austrian winger was dropped from the starting XI in the MLS for the first time this season.
“[Wolf] was in training for only a day and a half and suffered some hip issues earlier last week,” Jansen said. “That’s why he missed the game as well against Montreal.
Full-backs Keisuke Kurokawa and Silvan Hefti marshaled their opposition well, however, and were an attacking threat going forward for the Black and Reds. Kur`okawa’s long throw-ins, in particular, troubled NYCFC. It was how they scored their opening goal.
The Sierra Leoneans seemed to find more space on the right side, playing a good one-two combo with Kai Trewin to find space behind Kurokawa on the counterattack. The Japanese defender did well to hold off Jones, showing the 22-year-old he still has some growing to do in the men’s game.
Yet, he showed fight throughout his 68-minute appearance. 10 minutes into the second half, Jones lost a physical, aerial duel to Hefti. However, the winger got back up and got stuck in against Matti Peltola, sticking a strong leg in to dispossess the midfielder.
The No. 88 even had a chance to score right before the break, being played in by Maxi Moralez with four D.C. defenders chasing. He used his quick feet to confuse the first one, but was unable to find a way through the next three after that.
“We got a really talented group, and these opportunities are going to become more frequent,” Jones said.
He played a good ball into the box on 68 minutes, but D.C. managed to clear before Maxi Moralez could get his head on it. He popped up in the right spots, and had Moralez’s cushioned header fallen to Jones, he would have had a chance on goal, one-on-one against Sean Johnson seven yards out.
“I’m going to have to take them more often, and that’s part of finding my boots again,” Jones said. “Putting the team on my back a little bit and saying, ‘I will go get us a goal if needed.’ For me coming back, those are moments I got to take of care of and put away, because that’s the standard that I have for myself.”
