Harrison Hosts NYCFC and Gotham FC on Back-to-Back Nights.

 Sports Illustrated Stadium will again become the temporary home of New York City FC on Thursday night, August 13, 2026, when NYCFC takes on Mexico's Club Necaxa in the final match of the Leagues Cup Phase One. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. in Harrison.

The match concludes a busy eight-day stretch of Leagues Cup soccer at Sports Illustrated Stadium for NYCFC. The club opened its tournament against Santos Laguna on August 6 and faced Cruz Azul on August 9 before Thursday night's meeting with Necaxa. NYCFC's official Leagues Cup schedule confirms all three matches are being played at the Harrison stadium.

The 2026 Leagues Cup brings together 18 Major League Soccer clubs and all 18 Liga MX clubs, with teams playing three interleague matches during Phase One. The four best-performing clubs from each league advance to the quarterfinals.

NYCFC Comes Into Thursday After Split Results                                                         

New York City FC began its Leagues Cup campaign with a 2-0 victory over Santos Laguna at Sports Illustrated Stadium on August 6, with Tayvon Gray and Nico Cavallo scoring for NYCFC. The club was unable to duplicate that result three days later, losing 2-1 to Cruz Azul in Harrison on August 9. Max Murray scored NYCFC's goal in that match.

That makes Thursday night's contest with Necaxa particularly important as the clubs battle for positioning in the tournament's Phase One standings and the limited number of places available in the knockout round.

Who Is Club Necaxa?

Club Necaxa is one of Mexico's historic professional soccer organizations. Founded in 1923, the club competes in Liga MX, the highest level of professional soccer in Mexico. Today, the club is based in Aguascalientes, Mexico, and is commonly known as Los Rayos — “The Lightning Bolts.”

Necaxa's home is Estadio Victoria in Aguascalientes, which has served as the club's stadium since July 26, 2003. According to Club Necaxa, Estadio Victoria has a capacity of approximately 25,500 spectators and sits in the central area of Aguascalientes.

The stadium was constructed on the site of the city's former municipal stadium and officially opened with a match against Guadalajara's Chivas. Since then, Estadio Victoria has hosted Liga MX matches, Mexican national team competition and international club soccer, including Copa Libertadores matches.

Necaxa began the 2026 Liga MX Apertura season strongly, defeating Atlante 2-1 and Monterrey 2-1 before suffering a 3-1 road loss to Toluca. The club consequently entered the Leagues Cup portion of its schedule after collecting six points from its first three domestic matches.

Its Leagues Cup experience has been more difficult. Necaxa lost 2-0 to the Chicago Fire in its opening match and then fell 3-1 to the Philadelphia Union in its second match.

Where the Teams Stand

As of August 10, the two clubs came into Thursday's matchup from very different domestic league situations. NYCFC had compiled a 7-6-4 MLS record with 25 points, putting the club fifth in the MLS Eastern Conference in the available standings.

Necaxa, meanwhile, had six points from its opening three Liga MX Apertura matches after beginning with consecutive victories before its loss to Toluca. Earlier standings had Necaxa fourth after two matches at 2-0-0; the Toluca result ended that unbeaten start.

In Leagues Cup play itself, NYCFC's victory over Santos and loss to Cruz Azul gave the New York club a considerably better position entering the final Phase One match than Necaxa, which had lost each of its first two tournament games.

NYCFC's Unusual “Home” in Harrison

Although Thursday's game is officially a New York City FC home match, there is an obvious irony surrounding the location.

Sports Illustrated Stadium known for most of its history as Red Bull Arena is the home of the New York Red Bulls, one of NYCFC's fiercest MLS rivals.

NYCFC has historically divided its home schedule primarily between Yankee Stadium in the Bronx and Citi Field in Queens. When scheduling conflicts prevent either stadium from being used, however, the club sometimes has to cross the Hudson River and play in Harrison, NJ.

For many NYCFC supporters, calling the Harrison stadium “home” is uncomfortable precisely because of the rivalry with the Red Bulls. Even online discussions among NYCFC supporters continue to reflect resistance to making the trip to their rival's stadium.

That awkward arrangement is approaching its end.

NYCFC Building a Permanent Home in Queens

New York City FC is building Etihad Park in Willets Point, Queens, adjacent to Citi Field. The soccer-specific stadium is intended to finally give NYCFC the permanent home it has lacked since beginning MLS play.

The new stadium will eliminate much of the club's dependence on baseball stadium availability and the scheduling conflicts that have periodically forced NYCFC to find alternative venues — including the home of its Red Bull rivals in Harrison, NJ.

For NYCFC supporters, the completion of Etihad Park will mean that matches officially designated as NYCFC home games can finally be played in a stadium built specifically for the club rather than at Yankee Stadium, Citi Field or across the Hudson River in Harrison, NJ.

Another Busy Soccer Night Means Harrison Traffic

For Harrison residents, Thursday's match also means another night of stadium traffic.

Sports Illustrated Stadium lists the NYCFC-Necaxa match for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, August 13, followed only 24 hours later by another major professional soccer match at the stadium.

The Harrison Police Department is therefore likely to issue or implement one of its stadium traffic advisories, historically referred to by many residents as a Red Bull Arena Traffic Bulletin, because of the additional vehicle and pedestrian traffic generated around the stadium.

Residents should be prepared for traffic restrictions and heavier congestion in the area surrounding South Frank E. Rodgers Boulevard, Cape May Street, and the approaches to Sports Illustrated Stadium, particularly in the hours immediately before and after kickoff.

The situation is unusual because Harrison will essentially have back-to-back professional soccer nights. As NYCFC and Necaxa leave the field Thursday, preparations will already be underway for Friday night's NWSL showdown between Gotham FC and the Kansas City Current.

We encourage you to share your thoughts on the Community Discussion Board after reading this article.

For those not yet registered, participation is free and open to anyone who wants to stay engaged with Harrison’s local events, businesses, and community conversations.  It's a Free Membership. Sign up today and be part of the conversation.