New York won all five games it played (all held at the Nassau Coliseum), against such competition as Arsenal and Red Star Belgrade as well as the Portuguese and Irish national teams, drawing about 6,000 fans per contest.
Despite drawing a decent crowd of 10,577 for their home opener on November 21, 1986, attendance quickly dropped as New York lost their first ten games, costing coach Ray Klivecka his job on December 23.
New York would make it two in a row with a 7-4 victory over the Kansas City Comets two nights later at the Coliseum; however, another slump gave the Express a putrid 2-22 record at the All-Star break.
(Defender Chris Whyte and midfielder Michael Collins were selected for the game, played at the Los Angeles Forum and won by the East over the West, 6-5, in overtime.)
The next day, in a game carried nationally on ESPN, the Express were actually leading the defending champion Sockers, 2-1, at halftime in San Diego (with Njego Pesa getting both New York tallies).