HRB Podcast

The FIFA World Cup has seen many changes over its 23 editions, but in 2026, the most controversial new wrinkle is the mandatory three-minute hydration breaks implemented for all 104 matches, no matter if they're played inside an air-conditioned dome or out in 90-degree New Jersey swamp heat. This episode of The Blueprint looks closely at the pausa de hidratación, which hosts John Baney and Trey Fillmore find has less to do with player safety and everything to do with advertising revenue. They dig into the broadcast economics behind the breaks, including how much Fox and other World Cup rights-holders stand to make from ad spots aired during the stoppages, and why some of the official broadcasters, like Telemundo, aren't cutting away to full-on commercial breaks during these controversial cooling breaks. Then there's the strategic and tactical side of the three-minute pauses in each half. Coaches are viewing the hydration breaks as chances to regroup their teams and shift momentum mid-match, with data backing up that the hydration breaks have correlated with in-game performance shifts, somehow turning a sport that's supposed to feature two 45-minute halves into one that now features four quarters of action. The addition of hydration breaks is one big tweak present at this World Cup, but how does it compare to similarly seismic changes made throughout soccer and the World Cup's history? Let's not forget, this is also the first-ever 48-team World Cup, and that expansion is hugely significant on its own. To understand how the tweaks to the 2026 tournament compare historically, John and Trey go back through the many stages of evolution of the World Cup. That means discussing the decades of shifting group-stage structures and the shifting number of teams to participate in each tournament over the years, plus rule changes like the introduction of penalty kicks, the back-pass rule, awarding three points for a win, and so on. Framed against that history, Jon and Trey weigh in on whether the jump to 48 teams is a reasonable evolution of the game or yet another commercially-driven shift, touching on hosting infrastructure concerns and worries about diluting the competition by expanding the field. The conversation tries to pin down what impact all these changes and evolutions of the World Cup have had on the sport of soccer, and looks ahead to what other alterations might be waiting in the years to come. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Time to interrupt the World Cup summer with a healthy dose of New York City FC discussion. That's what you get at the start of this episode of The Soccer Journal Podcast, with a lot of time dedicated to talking about new New York City FC Designated Player Bénie Traoré. Hosts Mark Radigan and John Baney plus producer Andrew Leigh discuss what they like about Traoré, how he'll fit alongside fellow DP Nico Fernández Mercau in attack, and why Traoré might be the one to play at center-forward until Alonso Martínez returns from his long-term knee injury. From there, discussion turned to the swirling reports linking NYCFC with a push to sign USMNT star Christian Pulisic, reportedly offering $10 million annually to pry him from AC Milan. Lots to be said about Pulisic, ranging from speculation about if he'd want to come to MLS in the near-term to what he'd do for NYCFC off the field with Etihad Park's opening looming. Before switching gears back to the World Cup, the show also touches on a separate transfer rumor coming out of Brazil, specifically that NYCFC is reportedly interested in loaning in Vasco da Gama center-back Lucas Freitas. Next, we pivot fully to the World Cup, generally displeased with Mauricio Pochettino's decision to so heavily rotate his USMNT lineup for what would become a 3-2 loss to Türkiye to close out Group D. No one can find the wisdom in benching Matt Freese, and the show wonders what the result means, if anything at all, heading into the must-win Round of 32 clash with Bosnia and Herzegovina. The group previewed Bosnia by looking back at their impressive results in qualifying, and their less-impressive results through three World Cup group games. No preview would be complete without also looking one step ahead of Bosnia and wondering how the USMNT would potentially match up against either Belgium or Senegal, who they'd face in the Round of 16, if things get that far. Listen to the full episode and then find more of our coverage at nysoccerjournal.com, or on Twitter @nysoccerjournal and @NYSJPodcast, on Bluesky @nysoccerjournal.com, and on Instagram @newyorksoccerjournal  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A second straight episode that starts off with a dissection of a World Cup win for the United States, though this time it's just host Mark Radigan and producer Andrew Leigh on hand to break down USMNT 2-0 Australia. First up, how a Christian Pulisic-less US side still managed to break down Australia's five-player defensive block, with credit given to Mauricio Pochettino's formation tweak and willingness to play with two forwards in the face of Pulisic's absence and Australia's overly-defensive tendencies. There's also some talk of Matt Freese's performance in goal for the United States, and what a perfect two wins from two games played does for our expectations heading into both the meaningless final group-stage match vs Türkiye, and the World Cup knockout rounds that follow it. Knockout-round talk also leads into some speculation about the opponents and matchups the United States might face in the Round of 32 and beyond, and each of Mark and Andrew takes a moment to reset their expectations for the USMNT: How far do they think the US will actually go? After the United States is sorted, it's on to some New York City FC roster talk. That begins with the big news that James Sands is returning to the New York City squad and signing a contract extension with the team that made him its first Homegrown signing way back in 2017. How does it feel seeing Sands come back for a second time, and how will Pascal Jansen fit him into his squad? Another roster development, though one that's just a rumor at this point, is that New York City FC is trying to sign 23-year-old Ivorian winger Bénie Traoré of FC Basel 1893 in Switzerland. There's background filled in about Traoré, tracing his path from Cote d'Ivoire to Sweden to England to France and then to Switzerland, and Mark and Andrew assess how well he'd fit as both a high-priced Designated Player and in a New York City attack operating without Maxi Moralez and (for now) Alonso Martínez. Listen to the full episode and then find more of our coverage at nysoccerjournal.com, or on Twitter @nysoccerjournal and @NYSJPodcast, on Bluesky @nysoccerjournal.com, and on Instagram @newyorksoccerjournal  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The United States men's national team looked about as good as it has ever looked while opening their World Cup on home soil with a big win over Paraguay, so this episode of The Soccer Journal Podcast starts with a lengthy discussion of that 4-1 win in Los Angeles. Hosts Mark Radigan and John Baney and producer Andrew Leigh discuss all the things that went right for the USMNT in the win, like Folarin Balogun showing off his quality with a first-half brace, Chris Richards getting healthy, starting, and playing the full match, and New York City FC's Matt Freese putting in a mistake-free shift in goal to quiet the talk around an open competition at goalkeeper. Beyond the on-field success, there's also what this win does for the hype around the US national team, and the show touches on the potential impact a victory like this can have as the USMNT tries to overachieve, and win over new fans, while hosting the World Cup. One of the stars of that win over Paraguay, Christian Pulisic, is also the recent subject of a transfer rumor out of Italy that claims City Football Group is trying to bring Pulisic to New York City FC. None of the pod trio thinks he's coming, but there are still interesting points made about the intent it would show from CFG to try to bring a star player to NYCFC in time for the opening of Etihad Park. Speaking of the World Cup, it made its debut locally in East Rutherford, New Jersey, with a 1-1 draw between Brazil and Morocco, and it wasn't the easiest match to get home from. Some of the extremely long wait times for shuttle buses and rideshare pick-ups seemed avoidable, if not for the most convenient method for getting to MetLife Stadium priced at $98 per ticket. There are still other, more concrete NYCFC transactions to discuss, like defender Strahinja Tanasijević leaving the club, and like defender Mitja Ilenič having his loan to Polish club Rákow Częstochowa cut short, with the full-back re-joining NYCFC for the time being. There's also one more rumor to cover, this time the potential signing of Toulouse FC forward Frank Magri. Is he the right fit for Pascal Jansen and the current NYCFC attack? Then things wrap up with a big preview of the USMNT vs Australia match in Seattle, which looks different after the Socceroos defeated Türkiye 1-0 to open their Group D schedule. It doesn't look like a comfortable match-up for the United States, especially given Australia's low, well-organized defensive block and their impressive consistency in frustrating. Listen to the full episode, then find more of our coverage at nysoccerjournal.com, or on Twitter @nysoccerjournal and @NYSJPodcast, on Bluesky @nysoccerjournal.com, and on Instagram @newyorksoccerjournal Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This episode of The Blueprint is all about the World Cup, but not the on-field side of it. Hosts John Baney and Trey Fillmore instead take stock of everything happening around this World Cup before the soccer starts and takes center stage. The hosts spend a significant portion of the episode unpacking FIFA's deeply problematic ticketing process, walking through the use of dynamic pricing, the opacity around what the different ticket categories actually get you, and issues around FIFA's ticket resale portal and process. Then there’s the ill-fated, short-lived reusable water bottle ban. An attempt by FIFA to force the fans already paying premium prices to get into the World Cup stadiums to exclusively buy water, necessary hydration, from stadium concessions, felt like a near-perfect symbol of the tournament's financial absurdities. From there, the conversation gets heavier and shifts to the gigantic geopolitical shadow cast over the World Cup by United States actions and policies. There’s a laundry list of things hanging over the tournament, like the ongoing US military intervention in Iran; the travel bans affecting potential visiting fans from Iran, Haiti, Ivory Coast, and Senegal; and most recently, Somali referee Omar Artan being barred from entering the country and thus unable to work the tournament. The episode closes on a more hopeful note, with John and Trey exploring the promise of the expanded 48-team format and the potential for this World Cup to serve as a possible breakthrough moment for soccer in the United States, though with that breakthrough depending on how the USMNT actually performs. It's a mega-episode befitting the biggest World Cup field in history and also arguably the one with the most baggage surrounding it as the matches kick off. Listen to the whole thing at the top of this post, or find it by subscribing to The Soccer Journal Podcast feed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever else you listen to podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It's finally World Cup week and that means the podcast is in full-on World Cup mode. Hosts Mark Radigan and John Baney and producer Andrew Leigh begin with the United States men's national team and their final pre-World Cup friendly, which revealed some noteworthy things about the USMNT heading into their World Cup opener against Paraguay. The main intrigue again lies at the goalkeeper position, where New York City FC's Matt Freese started and played all 90 minutes of the USMNT's 2-1 loss to Germany at Soldier Field. Freese's performance didn't silence the ongoing debate over whether Mauricio Pochettino should start Freese or go back to New England Revolution keeper Matt Turner, but we have our own debate over if there is really a goalkeeper competition, or if Freese has the position locked up and fully his heading into the World Cup. Freese gets the most focus, but the broader conversation about the USMNT continues to be one of concern over defender Chris Richards' health, and concern over the performances of each center-back who has tried to replace the Crystal Palace FC regular as his status and availability for the World Cup remains uncertain. Before a deeper USMNT preview, we take a brief detour from the United States and the start of the World Cup to discuss a different World Cup competitor spending time at New York City FC's training facility: The Netherlands, who came to Orangeburg, New York last week to train on the NYCFC practice fields ahead of a friendly against Uzbekistan at Icahn Stadium on Randall's Island. There are plenty of interesting angles to the Dutch squad's visit, including Pascal Jansen of NYCFC's role as facilitator, their accommodations at a hotel in scenic White Plains, New York, and their unique move to play behind closed doors at the also-scenic Randall's Island track-and-field stadium that now serves as a soccer venue thanks to NYCFC's generous 2024 donation to bring a new grass playing surface to the venue. This episode wraps up with a preview of the first United States match at the World Cup against Paraguay, and a bigger-picture discussion of what success will look like for the USMNT at this tournament. How far should they be expected to make it through the knockouts, given the United States is one of the co-hosts playing matches at home, and given the talent up and down Pochettino's roster? Some say quarterfinals, some say semifinals, but we've got our own opinions on it all. Listen to the full episode, then find more of our coverage at nysoccerjournal.com, or on Twitter @nysoccerjournal and @NYSJPodcast, on Bluesky @nysoccerjournal.com, and on Instagram @newyorksoccerjournal. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In a very on-brand move for the topic of this episode of The Blueprint, host John Baney brought in a guest co-host on a short-term loan, as he’s joined by Andrew Leigh, usually of The Soccer Journal Podcast. John and Andrew tackle one of the more persistently confounding parts of New York City FC's approach to building a squad: Their loan strategy. With four first-team players currently out on loan and incoming first-team loanees not a thing since the 2023 season, John and Andrew dig into exactly how NYCFC are using this roster mechanism, and whether or not they're really using it to their advantage. The conversation starts with a focus on the current loan headlines, including the murky future of James Sands after his injury-plagued spell on loan with FC St. Pauli came to an end. Then there’s the legal dispute that emerged from Talles Magno's loan spell at Corinthians, after the Brazilian club triggered a loan extension to keep Talles, but never paid the agreed $850,000 fee, requiring a whole big fight in front of FIFA. Both cases serve as entry points to discuss how the club approaches players they want to move on: Too often defaulting to loans rather than outright sales, kicking difficult decisions down the road at a cost of roster clarity and financial certainty. To fully understand the club's loan approach and how it has evolved, your hosts go back in time as far as NYCFC's expansion era, when they brought in promising youngsters from the Manchester City FC youth system, like defenders Shay Facey and Angeliño. John and Andrew also examine the Taty Castellanos model that NYCFC have tried, and failed, to replicate, and explain why that particular pathway for players has been so hard to recreate. Jovan Mijatović, who signed for a club-record transfer fee but who has been loaned out twice without ever delivering at NYCFC, is brought up as a sort of anti-Taty, a symbol of how the club’s loan strategy can go wrong when it involves a high-priced youngster not hitting their potential ceiling either in New York or elsewhere while on loan. On the incoming side, the hosts wonder why NYCFC is so reluctant to use loans as a squad-building tool in MLS to fill obvious gaps, like the glaring one at striker since Alonso Martínez's knee injury. In the end, the hosts render a verdict: Yes, NYCFC is getting the loan strategy wrong, but it’s still possible to change course and actually make these moves beneficial for players and for NYCFC alike. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As the World Cup fast approaches, hosts Mark Radigan and John Baney and producer Andrew Leigh begin this episode focused on the United States men's national team and their next-to-last friendly before the real tournament action begins. The conversation starts with some highs and lows from the 3-2 USMNT win over Senegal, but the real heart of the conversation: What Mauricio Pochettino has planned for the USMNT at goalkeeper. Matt Freese of New York City FC made the final 26-man roster for the World Cup, but he was an unused substitute in what was an experimental, 11-substitutes-allowed friendly. What does that mean for Freese's chances to start at the World Cup? Whether he's the starter or not might still be up for debate, but what is certain: Freese will have two other club teammates joining him on the world's biggest soccer stage, as both Aiden O'Neill and Kai Trewin made the final 26 for Australia. There's talk of relief to see Aiden O'Neill back healthy and playing, after he went 67 minutes in Australia's most recent friendly against Mexico following a spell of absences for NYCFC after he went off injured on May 3 against DC United. There's also the simple fact that NYCFC will have three members of their team at the World Cup, a first considering only one previous active NYCFC player has ever seen the pitch at a World Cup. This episode wraps up with three different NYCFC loan situations that had recent news pop up. First, there's Mitja Ilenič, who got buried at Raków Częstochowa and is now reportedly drawing transfer interest from the champions of the first division in his homeland of Slovenia, NK Celje. Then there's James Sands, officially departing a relegated FC St. Pauli, and with his next destination unclear. Might we realistically see him back with NYCFC this summer? Finally, there's the bizarre situation where Corinthians owes NYCFC lots of cash over the Talles Magno loan deal, a discussion that eventually leads back to wondering over the future and plan for Talles Magno, with fresh calls for it to finally be time to move on from the Brazilian Designated Player. Listen to the full episode, then find more of our coverage at nysoccerjournal.com, or on Twitter @nysoccerjournal and @NYSJPodcast, on Bluesky @nysoccerjournal.com, and on Instagram @newyorksoccerjournal Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

New York City FC finally reached the two-month break in MLS action for the FIFA World Cup, but not before losing twice in one week while also losing more important players to injuries. First, hosts Mark Radigan and John Baney and producer Andrew Leigh review the anticlimactic end to NYCFC's run in this year's US Open Cup, a 1-0 loss in Columbus that showed how hard it will be for Pascal Jansen's team to replace what they've lost in the injured Maxi Moralez. It's a loss that your hosts attribute to nonexistent squad depth, exhaustion, and a return to form for the Crew as they looked rejuvenated while playing under a new head coach. The vibes didn't get better from there, as NYCFC followed up their midweek Cup quarterfinal loss with a frustrating defeat to Nashville SC to close out the 15-match slate of MLS games they played before the league hit pause for the World Cup. The chances were there for New York City to get something positive, and they did enjoy a few positive moments thanks to the continually-impressive Nico Fernández Mercau and the resurgent Malachi Jones. Yet this was another game defined by a set-piece goal conceded, an injury-depleted lineup, and a failure to take full advantage of the few key chances that were present while facing the current leaders in the race for the Supporters' Shield. We also take stock of where NYCFC stands now as the league reaches this midseason break, and how our views on this year's squad have changed after 15 MLS matches. That conversation can't happen without providing an update on the many injured NYCFC players, including Maxi Moralez (ACL) and Kevin O'Toole (abdomen/groin) each needing surgery, Keaton Parks getting scratched during warm-ups before the Open Cup match, the list goes on. After going deep on NYCFC in the first half of the show, we touch on New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani securing 1,000 $50 World Cup tickets for New York City residents, and the significance of Mamdani enlisting New York native, Olympique de Marseille winger, and Brooklyn FC co-owner Timothy Weah to announce the discounted ticket offer. The show wraps up by diving into the leaked United States men's national team roster for the World Cup, which includes NYCFC goalkeeper Matt Freese, and also includes a handful of other surprising or discussion-worthy inclusions and omissions. That means we're talking Diego Luna snubs, the value of Gio Reyna and Alejandro Zendejas, the importance of Tyler Adams's health to the midfield, and more. Listen to the full episode, then find more of our coverage at nysoccerjournal.com, or on Twitter @nysoccerjournal and @NYSJPodcast, on Bluesky @nysoccerjournal.com, and on Instagram @newyorksoccerjournal Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In a special edition of The Soccer Journal Podcast, Brooklyn FC midfielder Taimu Okiyoshi joins Andrew Leigh for a wide-ranging conversation about Taimu's remarkable path to being a professional soccer player with New York's newest expansion team. From growing up in Japan to making the move to the United States on his own to play college soccer and chase his pro soccer dream, Taimu walks us through his unique route, beginning with a stint playing at a junior college in Utah, to then starring for Marshall University as The Thundering Herd made a run to the 2024 College Cup. We discuss what he learned from his first professional season, which was split between Rhode Island FC and Westchester SC, and how that difficult year helped prepare him for the challenges and opportunities in front of him as he tries to establish himself with Brooklyn FC and in the USL Championship. After living in Japan, Utah, West Virginia, Rhode Island, and now New York, Taimu has seen a lot, and he's candid, compelling, and honest when discussing topics like living in New York City, the state of American and college soccer, emulating the legendary Yasuhito Endō, and his long-term MLS ambitions. He also sheds valuable light on playing under Brooklyn head coach Marlon LeBlanc and GM Brian McBride, what it means to have a coach who trusts him to play freely and without fear of mistakes, and what Brooklyn is collectively focused on as the club tries to turn their form around following a slow start to life in the USL Championship. Listen to the full conversation, then be sure to find more of our coverage at nysoccerjournal.com, or on Twitter @nysoccerjournal and @NYSJPodcast, on Bluesky @nysoccerjournal.com, and on Instagram @newyorksoccerjournal Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Two away matches and four points collected for New York City FC, so this episode starts with our assessment of the performances in the win over Charlotte FC and the draw with the Red Bulls. There's talk of defensive improvement, an eye-catching substitute appearance from Malachi Jones in the Hudson River Derby, and some missed opportunities to take all three points home from Harrison, New Jersey. There is also some major Maxi Moralez injury news to discuss, as his serious knee injury suffered against the Red Bulls hangs a cloud over all things. There's talk of what the injury could mean for NYCFC's season, and the difficult question of how the club replaces its irreplaceable No 10 is once again raised. The episode closes with a preview of the US Open Cup quarterfinal in Columbus, where a new Crew coach awaits. Columbus is struggling down in 13th place in the Eastern Conference and NYCFC beat them convincingly only 10 days ago, but the trip to Ohio to face a squad playing their first match post-coach firing could be trickier than it seems. We then cover NYCFC's final MLS match prior to the World Cup break, the daunting road trip to face Nashville SC, the current leaders in the race for the Supporters' Shield. Sam Surridge isn't available, but Hany Mukhtar is, and coming off the hugely important Open Cup quarterfinal, your hosts are not expecting much in the final MLS match played before late-July. Listen to the full episode, then find more of our coverage at nysoccerjournal.com, or on Twitter @nysoccerjournal and @NYSJPodcast, on Bluesky @nysoccerjournal.com, and on Instagram @newyorksoccerjournal Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What will it take to make the MLS All-Star Game more interesting? The annual midseason showcase of the league's top players has changed a lot since MLS was born, but it remains a very American sports-coded concept applied awkwardly to the world's game. On this latest episode of The Blueprint, your hosts John Baney and Trey Fillmore go through the long and winding history of the MLS All-Star Game, from its early days as an all-MLS affair, to the foreign super-club era of the MLS All-Stars playing the likes of Bayern Munich or Arsenal, through to the current version pitting MLS against a collection of top players from Mexico's Liga MX. Having the MLS All-Stars play some Liga MX All-Stars hasn't been enough to move the needle and make this annual exhibition more relevant or enticing, so John and Trey also discuss possible ways to overhaul the format of the MLS All-Star experience. They draw some inspiration from other major American sports' versions, and propose creative fixes, like small-sided matches or gamified brackets, with the aim of giving the exhibition some much-needed juice. Then it's time to get into who deserves an All-Star vote based on their work in MLS this season. John and Trey walk through each position of the mandated 4-3-3 All-Star voting formation and make the case for who belongs in the MLS All-Star XI. Trey gets a media vote for this year's All-Star squad, so unlike the All-Star Game itself, this conversation actually means something. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The streak has ended, so the vibe around New York City FC is much improved on this episode of The Soccer Journal Podcast. After seven Major League Soccer matches without a win, New York City FC got one and in emphatic fashion, winning 3-0 on Mother's Day in the Bronx. We break down the hot-and-cold Hannes Wolf's emphatic return to the scoresheet with his first-career hat trick, stress the importance of keeping a second clean sheet of the season, and have some praise for the quietly impressive play of left-back Nico Cavallo. Given that New York City will face Columbus again in just a matter of days, we assess how this win might carry momentum into that upcoming US Open Cup quarterfinal against this same Crew. Next, a slightly unusual MLS Next Pro transfer to discuss, as the young Brazilian center-back João Loiola of Fluminense was finally confirmed as a new NYCFC II signing following a protracted transfer saga. He's officially joined up on a loan to NYCFC II through the end of the 2026 season, but with the MLS squad retaining an option to buy him at the conclusion of the loan, should we expect to see Loiola get his feet wet at the MLS level before the season ends? We also touch on the appearances made by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and USWNT coach Emma Hayes at Gotham FC's recent match against Boston Legacy FC at Sports Illustrated Stadium, a game boosted by a $5 ticket promotion championed by both Mayor Mamdani and Gotham itself. Then it's on to our two previews of the road matches this week, midweek at Charlotte FC, then again on Saturday night at Red Bull New York. It's part of the compressed nature of the schedule as NYCFC navigates a five-games-in-twelve-days sprint before the World Cup break, and your hosts and producer are all over the place in terms of how they expect those back-to-back tests to play out. Listen to the full episode, then find more of our coverage at nysoccerjournal.com, or on Twitter @nysoccerjournal and @NYSJPodcast, on Bluesky @nysoccerjournal.com, and on Instagram @newyorksoccerjournal. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode of The Blueprint, hosts John Baney and Trey Fillmore examine why Major League Soccer is shifting away from its traditional spring-to-fall league calendar. To make sense of the league's switch over to a fall-to-spring schedule, it helps to go back to the origins of the current MLS calendar setup, specifically how much influence things like the North American Soccer League (NASL), the weather, TV networks, and the NFL had on the approach MLS chose to take. What worked then doesn't work as well now, though, and John and Trey discuss how the existing schedule creates costly misalignments between MLS and leagues in Europe on things like transfer windows and FIFA's international breaks. Then there's the impact the decision to move MLS match broadcasts to Apple TV has had, freeing MLS from its dependence on traditional broadcasters, one of the original reasons for the summer-centric schedule. What will MLS look like in this new post-calendar-flip era? There are pros and cons to be weighed, like the new timing of the MLS Cup Playoffs (pro), or the fact that there needs to be a "sprint season" early in 2027 (con) rather than implementing the new calendar right after this summer's FIFA World Cup. The change of schedule will have far-reaching effects on the league, so listen to the full episode to get the full picture of why this is happening and what it might mean for MLS. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Another eventful week around New York City FC means it's another eventful episode of The Soccer Journal Podcast. Hosts Mark Radigan and John Baney and producer Andrew Leigh (who has a new soccer trivia book out now, which you can check out here) begin by looking back fondly on NYCFC's 3-1 US Open Cup Round of 16 win over their Red Bull rivals. We rate it as a big win, but not just because it knocked the Red Bulls out of a cup competition, something NYCFC had never done before. The road ahead on the path to potential US Open Cup glory now looks downright enticing for New York City, given they travel to Columbus to face the Crew in the quarterfinals but would then, if they advance, get to host a potential semifinal and US Open Cup final, based on the results of the Open Cup draw held after the completion of the Round of 16. The other names left in contention for the trophy aren't necessarily the cream of the MLS crop, either, so are we delusional for thinking NYCFC might be favorites to claim the oldest high-level soccer trophy in America? It might be a bit delusional because, after our Open Cup high, we are reminded of the subsequent low point reached when DC United came to Citi Field and dropped a 2-0 on New York City FC, making it seven MLS matches without a win for NYCFC, and five straight home games without a win, to boot. The level of concern has risen among your podcast hosts, and a lot of the concerns stem from NYCFC's inability to break down teams that stay compact and don't get drawn out defensively, resulting in frustrating, fruitless attacking showings like the one against DC. After we're done dissecting the DC defeat, we run through some quick news items of note, like ex-NYCFC and current Maccabi Tel Aviv coach Ronny Deila being in hot water in Israel for drunkenly sexual harassing a female taxi driver, MLS teaming up with a private-equity company to relocate and rebrand a bunch of MLS Next Pro teams, and Fluminense defender and rumored NYCFC target João Loiola attending NYCFC-DC United at Citi Field and posting about it on his Instagram. Then it's another MLS match preview as NYCFC searches for a rare and elusive victory, so we get you ready for the team's eventual Open Cup quarterfinal opponents, Columbus Crew, as they visit Yankee Stadium for a 4:30 pm ET kickoff on this coming Mother's Day Sunday. It's a jumbo-sized episode with lots of ground covered, so listen to the full thing, then find more of our coverage at nysoccerjournal.com, or on Twitter @nysoccerjournal and @NYSJPodcast, on Bluesky @nysoccerjournal.com, and on Instagram @newyorksoccerjournal. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Introducing a new podcast offering from the New York Soccer Journal: The Blueprint, with hosts John Baney, who you know from The Soccer Journal Podcast, and Trey Fillmore, who you know from the Blue Balls NYCFC podcast. Each episode of The Blueprint tackles a single topic and dives deep on that topic. These topics might relate to New York City FC, or they might be storylines of note from elsewhere in Major League Soccer or from across the wider soccer landscape. In this inaugural episode, John and Trey tackle the question: How do you define Pascal Jansen Ball? They go over the philosophies and tactical principles that guide the New York City FC coach as he sets up his team, from his pressing system to his preferences for patient build-up play and wide overloads. Talk of Jansen's style and approach leads into a discussion of how to explain New York City FC's poor early-season league form in 2026, which has been plagued by late-game collapses and costly concentration lapses. In the end, you get a comprehensive review of Pascal Jansen the coach, tracing his path and progression from the PSV Eindhoven youth system and his tenure with AZ Alkmaar in the Netherlands, to his stint with Ferencváros in Hungary, and then to this present moment here with NYCFC in MLS. Listen to the full episode above or on Apple, Spotify, or Bleav, and be sure you're subscribed to The Soccer Journal Podcast on your preferred podcast feed of choice as we begin to roll out more episodes of The Blueprint in the weeks to come. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

First, in podcast housekeeping news: We are officially now The Soccer Journal Podcast! We thank you the listeners for riding through our transition period post-Hudson River Blue, but we're now all settled into our new permanent name and identity. That sorted, we're back to talking about New York City FC and the doubly disappointing week that included a bonkers, deflating 4-4 draw with FC Cincinnati at Yankee Stadium, then a limp, forgettable performance in a 1-0 loss away to CF Montréal. It's a lot of dissection of how New York City let a two-goal lead slip in the final minutes against Cincinnati, then how flat they looked in Montréal while getting shut out for a fourth straight time when facing the artists formerly known as the Impact. The recurring themes of our discussion: New York City's persistent struggles at the back this season, and their desperate need for more attacking help for Nico Fernández Mercau and Maxi Moralez. On that attacking note, we spend some time wondering aloud about Pascal Jansen's decision to start Arnau Farnós in Montréal instead of one of his three Designated Players, Talles Magno, and what that says for Talles's place in the squad and the current state of NYCFC's depth chart. Then it's on to a future topics, and first up, this summer's FIFA World Cup. We cover the news that New York City will now have five entirely free World Cup fan zones, one in each borough, after soccer-loving Mayor Zohran Mamdani and New York Governor Kathy Hochul teamed up to reverse course on the earlier plan, which only called for two New York City-based fan zones and required paid admission for the one in Queens. At least one facet of the most expensive World Cup ever gets slightly less expensive. Then to close out this episode, we've got a big preview block looking ahead to both the first Hudson River Derby of 2026, in the Round of 16 of the US Open Cup no less, and the next chance for NYCFC to end their MLS winless streak when they host DC United on Matchday 11 in Queens. How optimistic are we feeling about the two matches to come this week? More optimistic than you might expect for a podcast about a team that's winless in six league games! Listen to the full episode, then find more of our coverage at nysoccerjournal.com, or on Twitter @nysoccerjournal and @NYSJPodcast, on Bluesky @nysoccerjournal.com, and on Instagram @newyorksoccerjournal. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Another busy three-game week for New York City FC, but before hosts Mark Radigan and John Baney and producer Andrew Leigh dive into match recapping and previewing, there's important housekeeping to attend to: The launch of the New York Soccer Journal, the new home of this very podcast. After chatting about the big "personal news" of the new outlet's debut, it's on to an unfortunate revisiting of New York City's 2-1 loss to Charlotte FC at Citi Field. Possession was controlled, chances were created, yet no points were earned by NYCFC, a fourth straight MLS match without a win, and a third straight home game without a win. There's talk of the biggest causes for concern during this winless rut, as well as some eyes turned toward the summer transfer window and what NYCFC might need to add to avoid down spells like this from recurring. The show then switches into preview mode, with two more NYCFC matches to come this week in what is a jam-packed portion of the pre-FIFA World Cup schedule. Optimism levels vary among our hosts regarding the midweek match against FC Cincinnati in the Bronx and the weekend trip up to Canada to face CF Montréal, but it wouldn't be an episode of the show if it didn't end up with official on-the-record prognostications of how this latest three-match week will play out. After you listen to this episode, read up on all the latest news over at nysoccerjournal.com, and be sure to follow us on Instagram, Bluesky, Twitter/X, and Threads. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

New York City FC picked up a big 5-2 win over Westchester SC in the Round of 32 of the US Open Cup, and this episode kicks off with an instant reaction to that lopsided win over a local lower-league rival. Talles Magno scored a hat trick of goals, and Agustín Ojeda had three goal contributions: Is this simply high-priced talent doing what it should against a USL League One club, or can we read more into the big performances from Talles and Ojeda? The attack clicked in the Open Cup, but no attacking player in New York City colors had a performance to remember in the 2-0 road loss to Vancouver Whitecaps FC that preceded the midweek cup contest. Hosts John Baney and Mark Radigan and producer Andrew Leigh lament the costly absence of New York City center-back Thiago Martins, marvel at Matt Freese and his eight saves, and wonder where this loss, coupled with the recent loss to reigning MLS Cup champions Inter Miami CF, leaves New York City FC in relation to the elite teams in Major League Soccer. The New York City squad is getting stronger as players return from injury, and that now includes winger Malachi Jones, who completed an inspiring comeback from the severe broken leg he suffered in June 2024. Jones is getting back up to speed, as is midfielder Andrés Perea, who officially is back in full training after the broken leg he suffered last November. We highlight how each player's return to health can help Pascal Jansen put his squad together. Then it's time to preview Charlotte FC coming to visit New York City FC at Citi Field in Queens. Danger man Pep Biel is back healthy and available for Charlotte after missing last year's MLS Cup Playoffs series with NYCFC. Biel, Idan Toklomati, and Wilfried Zaha make for a threatening front line, and we get into what New York City will need to do against them to snap their mini three-match MLS winless streak. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

New York City FC earned their first "draw that felt like a loss" of the 2026 season, and this episode starts with hosts Mark Radigan and John Baney and producer Andrew Leigh trying to figure out how they didn't collect all three points from their meeting with St. Louis City SC at Citi Field. Our focus is on the missed or wasted New York City chances and the team's inability to get the extra goal needed to see out a win. We second-guess a few of the decisions Pascal Jansen made in the second half and wonder how this attack can get it done when they don't get the required moments of magic from their two most impactful attackers, Nico Fernández Mercau and Maxi Moralez. With the draw in Queens put to bed, we shift to discussing New York City's potential path to US Open Cup glory, beginning with their Round of 32 clash with local USL League One's Westchester SC. Given the Open Cup match comes as part of a three-game week, a week that includes one of the longest away trips possible in MLS, just what kind of NYCFC squad will we see out there on the pitch in Mount Vernon? It only takes five wins to lift the Open Cup, but the club has never had much success with this tournament, and we wonder if this will be the year that finally changes, or if we're once again in for more of the same. Injuries are another big topic on this episode, with our crew discussing the serious knee injury suffered by NYCFC right-back Drew Baiera while he was away on national-team duty with the United States U-19s. With Baiera facing an extended absence and with Mitja Ilenič loaned out for the season, how will New York City cope in games when Tayvon Gray might be unavailable or in need of rest? Then it's on to previewing what will be another major early-season test against an elite MLS opponent, when NYCFC flies thousands of miles to play Vancouver Whitecaps FC on the turf of BC Place. We marvel at some of the weapons accumulated by the Whitecaps, legendary star midfielder Thomas Müller included, and do our best to guess how this East vs. West matchup of strength vs. strength will play out. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The HRB Podcast powers on and it's an international break-heavy episode this week, with the conversation starting with the United States men's national team and their pair of friendlies against Belgium and Portugal. The ongoing battle at the goalkeeper position for the United States was of particular interest to our New York City FC-centric selves. Against Belgium, Matt Freese didn't start for the first time in 12 matches and the United States conceded five goals, though only one goal could be, possibly, placed at the feet Freese's replacement, Matt Turner of the New England Revolution. Why did USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino drop Freese from his lineup, and what does that move, and Turner's less-than-amazing performance, mean for The Iceman's chances to start in goal at this summer's World Cup? The field of teams in this summer's World Cup just got clearer, and Freese and the United States now know that they'll face Turkiye in their third and final match of Group D play. We go through the full USMNT group schedule and try to game out a path through the group stage and into the knockout rounds, then set some internal HRB Pod expectations for how we think the USMNT should perform while hosting the World Cup. After the international scene is covered in full, the second half of the show is entirely New York City FC-focused. That begins with a rundown of some random and somewhat dubious transfer rumors to emerge around NYCFC in the days immediately before and after the closing of the MLS Primary Transfer Window. First we sketchy cover a rumor that Nico Fernández Mercau is wanted by the two biggest teams in Portugal, then it's over to a thin report linking NYCFC with interest in signing Charlotte FC star Wilfried Zaha, and our brief portion of transfer chatter ends with a head-scratching rumor linking a young central defender with Fluminense in Brazil, 20-year-old João Loiola, with a loan move to come play for NYCFC II in MLS Next Pro. When done weighing the validity, or lack thereof, of the transfer rumor mill's latest offerings, it's time to preview NYCFC's return to MLS play, when they host St. Louis City SC for the first time ever. St. Louis missed the playoffs in back-to-back seasons, but they're not a familiar opponent for New York City, and they can hurt teams thanks to employing the likes of Marcel Hartel in their attack. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We begin this episode by talking about the big recent news involving us: Hudson River Blue is shutting down. You get to hear it from us, and we do our best to update you on what’s coming next for our coverage. That coverage is uninterrupted, at least as far as this podcast is concerned. After the housekeeping, it’s on to a deep dive into the epic clash between New York City FC and Inter Miami CF in front of an announced crowd of 45,845 at Yankee Stadium. Miami won for a third straight time against NYCFC, but the 3-2 victory for the visiting Herons was filled to the brim with talking points and controversies. The non-call on a possible handball outside his penalty area by Miami goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair was a major point of contention, and so too was the fact that every in-game break and call from the referee seemed to go Miami’s way. While it was still the first loss of the season for New York City, there were positives even in defeat. We do spend some of our breakdown highlighting the good things that happened even in defeat, specifically that both Nico Fernández Mercau and Maxi Moralez continued their white-hot starts to this season while carrying the NYCFC attack. Once the Miami game is wrapped, we discuss the latest big development at Etihad Park, as the new permanent home for NYCFC in Queens is set to celebrate its “topping out” with the placement of a final structural beam. The new stadium really looks like a stadium, though we’re here griping about having to wait another 16 months or so for it to open. We also fill you in on all the NYCFC players to receive international call-ups for games played during the late-March FIFA international window, and that includes a few players mentioned who should have received national-team calls, but didn’t — looking at you, Jamaica national team, for not calling up Trayvon Gray. The episode closes with a more big-picture reflection on where things stand with the NYCFC squad as the MLS Primary Transfer Window comes to a close on Thursday, March 26. Was it enough to only add one new senior-level player to the roster from outside the club, Kai Trewin? How do we feel about the prospects of an Antoine Griezmann-level star joining New York City during the summer’s Secondary Transfer Window? Transfer and squad-building chats always bring out the strongest takes and emotions, and this was no exception. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

New York City FC made it three straight wins by beating Colorado Rapids at Yankee Stadium, so that 3-1 victory and Nico Fernández Mercau's two goals in it are big topics to open this episode. Hosts Mark Radigan and John Baney and producer Andrew Leigh review the standout performances against Colorado, like Nico continuing his early goal binge, Maxi Moralez picking up yet another assist, and Talles Magno getting a confidence-building goal to seal the result. Discussing the win over Colorado and the club's red-hot start to the MLS season also means stopping to consider: How serious of a trophy contender is this year's NYCFC squad, really? From the Colorado win it's on to a less upbeat topic, as we discuss James Sands suffering another season-ending ankle injury with FC St. Pauli in Germany. Despite a solid year as a regular starter in midfield, it's unclear what the future will hold at club level for the first-ever NYCFC Homegrown, whose loan to St. Pauli expires at the end of June, but who has now had back-to-back Bundesliga seasons cut short by injuries. While the injury definitively rules Sands out, another NYCFC player is in for the United States men's national team, and that's goalkeeper Matt Freese. We discuss Freese getting called up for the USMNT's March friendlies and size up the state of the race for the title of "starting keeper at the World Cup," with it looking likely to come down to Freese or New England Revolution stopper Matt Turner. After a break, we run through the changes made to the schedule for this year's MLS Cup Playoffs. It's across-the-board praise for the decision to stop letting the playoffs be interrupted by a FIFA international break, though opinions are less clear-cut about a Friday night MLS Cup final that also could take place on the chilly East Coast on the wintry date of December 18. Finally, it's time to shift attention to the marquee match at Yankee Soccer Stadium: Inter Miami CF coming to town for a rematch of the 2025 Eastern Conference Final. Is New York City catching Miami at the right time, meaning when they're vulnerable and there to be beaten? Miami is juggling the start of the regular season with the Concacaf Champions Cup, and they've not clicked in league play so far in the early days of the 2026 season. Still, they soundly defeated NYCFC in back-to-back meetings late in 2025, and they've got one of the deepest squads in the league. How much will we learn from these teams playing this early in the season? Get ready for the big Sunday matinee in the Bronx by listening to the full episode and by catching up with more of our coverage at HudsonRiverBlue.com or on social media via Bluesky, Instagram, TikTok, and Threads. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

New York City FC won another home opener, but the way they wrecked Orlando City SC while winning 5-0 surprised even the most optimistic members of our Hudson River Blue Podcast crew. This episode starts with a fond look back at the big win over Orlando at Yankee Stadium, as we attempt to zoom in on what had more to do with the 5-0 scoreline: Orlando's badness, or New York City's greatness? Really, Orlando was quite bad before and after the tragi-comic early red card shown to goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau, but is that the real reason NYCFC looked so good in this win? And will Pascal Jansen's team ever come across an opponent who can finish a match with all 11 players still out on the field? After singling out some top performers and top moments from the Orlando victory, we try to take stock of where NYCFC stands three matches into their MLS season. In taking seven of nine available points to start the year, it means the club is off to its best start since 2018. Have we seen enough to definitively say this team is legit and good enough, as constructed, to win a trophy this season, or is a striker still a must-sign to be considered a true contender? Then it's a brief detour into the land of Leagues Cup, everyone's favorite mid-summer tournament. New York City learned the identities of their opponents – Cruz Azul, Santos Laguna, and Club Necaxa – and the logistics of the three Phase One matches they'll play in this year's tournament. Spoiler Alert: They're all taking place in Harrison, New Jersey, and thus our excitement for the early-August, post-World Cup tournament takes a big hit. Finally, it's time to preview New York City FC's Matchday 4 when Colorado Rapids come to the Bronx. New York City is unbeaten through three matches, but can they rise to the somewhat less-anticipated occasion of an early-season Colorado visit and maintain the momentum that they gained from their home opener? Listen to the full episode to hear where our optimism levels currently reside, then find more of our coverage at HudsonRiverBlue.com or on social media via Bluesky, Instagram, TikTok, and Threads. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It was as wild a win as wins get for New York City FC in their second match of the 2026 season, so this episode begins with lots to be said about the last-gasp 2-1 win over Philadelphia Union. That includes some choice words about the controversial refereeing decisions that influenced the match, from two contentious penalty-kick decisions to the quick-trigger second yellow card that reduced the Union to 10 players shortly before Tayvon Gray's dramatic winning goal. Gray is one of a few players we zoom in on, including Agustín Ojeda and his match-winning assist, and Keaton Parks in his first Starting XI appearance since May 4, 2025. Following a thorough unpacking of the Philly win, the episode switches gears and focuses on the wide-ranging, eye-opening interview given this week by NYCFC president and CEO Brad Sims. We digest some of the biggest things shared by Sims, including why Etihad Park is opening in July 2027 instead of during the 14-match mini-season held next spring, some of the ins and outs of how New York City FC executes player scouting and transfers while inside the City Football Group apparatus, and that the club still might sign a high-priced Designated Player during the current MLS Primary Transfer Window. To wrap up this jam-packed episode, it's a preview of the 2026 home opener against Orlando City SC at Yankee Stadium. Orlando is winless and looking far less dangerous than their 2025 selves, and NYCFC is off to a rare unbeaten start through their first two games: Is confidence too high, or just right heading into the season's first home match? Listen to the full episode, then find more of our coverage at HudsonRiverBlue.com or on social media via Bluesky, Instagram, TikTok, and Threads. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

New York City FC started the 2026 season with a 1-1 draw vs LA Galaxy, a slightly frustrating but respectable result while playing thousands of miles away from home. Hosts Mark Radigan and John Baney and producer Andrew Leigh all agree that the Galaxy game served as another reminder of how badly New York City FC needs to sign a new striker or versatile forward to fill in at the No 9 while Alonso Martínez rehabs from his knee injury. The NYCFC striker situation once again is a big topic of discussion, with Nico Fernández Mercau getting the start at striker vs the Galaxy and enjoying a strong game with a penalty-kick goal scored, but all while not playing like much of a true center-forward. We break down Nico's role and tendencies against the Galaxy and wonder what could make Pascal Jansen turn to Talles Magno or promising 17-year-old Seymour Reid while searching for the team's ideal answer at striker. After diving in deep on the Galaxy match, the pod's attention shifts to NYCFC's soon-to-open soccer-specific stadium and the announcement that Etihad Park will first open for the Summer-Spring portion of the 2027/28 MLS calendar. Is it a wise move for the new stadium to entirely skip the brief 14-match "Sprint Season" MLS has planned for the early part of 2027? With one point on the board, NYCFC's season-opening road trip now shifts to Chester, Pennsylvania, and a Matchday 2 clash with Philadelphia Union. It's a very different-looking Union team from the one NYCFC dispatched to reach the MLS Eastern Conference Final last November, so we lay out what to expect as New York City reacquaints with one of the club's biggest rivals. Listen to this super-sized, season-opening podcast, then find more of our coverage at HudsonRiverBlue.com or on social media via Bluesky, Instagram, TikTok, and Threads. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It's a big season preview episode involving bold predictions made about New York City FC and the players we expect to play big roles during the 2026 season. Before the predicting and previewing, hosts Mark Radigan and John Baney and producer Andrew Leigh put a bow on the preseason. There was one final Coachella Valley Invitational friendly played, and there were many updates about the health of some key members of the NYCFC squad shared by Pascal Jansen. After catching up on the state of the team as preseason ends, we move into season preview mode, and that involves laying down some bold predictions about the season ahead. We each share where we think New York City FC will finish in the Eastern Conference standings, then all call out our choices for who will be NYCFC's top goal-scorer, breakout player, and overall Player of the Season, across the entirety of the 2026 campaign. The big-picture predictions finished, this episode wraps up with our first match preview of the 2026 season, a look ahead to the inaugural Justin Haak Derby when NYCFC plays LA Galaxy. You might know all about Justin Haak already, but he wasn't the only big roster addition made by the Galaxy this offseason. We cover the new faces and dangers posed by LA and each try to predict how we see this first meaningful match of 2026 playing out. Listen to this super-sized, season-opening podcast, then find more of our coverage at HudsonRiverBlue.com or on social media via Bluesky, Instagram, TikTok, and Threads. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The New York City FC preseason is nearing its conclusion and the Coachella Valley Invitational friendlies are happening, giving us more and more clues about how Pascal Jansen might line his team up when the 2026 season kicks off on February 22 in Southern California. To start this episode, hosts Mark Radigan and John Baney and producer Andrew Leigh revisit the 1-1 draw between NYCFC and LAFC to open the Coachella slate. The review includes some analysis of the first Coachella Starting XI rolled out by Jansen, a lineup that included usual defender Kevin O'Toole as a defensive midfielder. Nico Fernández Mercau scored in a second straight preseason friendly, but this time while playing as the team's starting center-forward. The pod is bullish on a Nico breakout in 2026 during his first full MLS season, and his performance during preseason is reinforcing that bullishness. While Nico is looking good in preseason, some key players have been looking on from the sidelines while injured and unavailable to feature in any of New York City FC's preparatory friendlies. It's easy to wonder about how the New York City FC midfield will hold up while both Aiden O'Neill and Jonny Shore are out recovering from injuries, and it's similarly easy to wonder why Talles Magno has seemed so absent since playing that friendly at Austin FC earlier this month. To wrap things up, there are some serious and judgmental takes offered about NYCFC's new 2026/27 away kit, the All Nations Kit. The show has generally positive feelings about the new jersey, but it's not all must-cop sunshine and roses for the new shirt, which gets explained as part of our animated discussion on the pros and cons of those All Nations Kits. Listen to the full episode, then find more of our coverage at HudsonRiverBlue.com or on social media via Bluesky, Instagram, TikTok, and Threads. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Moussa Sylla of FC Schalke 04 looked all set to become a Designated Player striker signing for New York City FC, but instead of wrapping the transfer up, the move went up in smoke and in dramatic and contentious fashion. The first portion of this episode is spent unpacking all the dramatic twists of the Sylla transfer saga. This is the first time in recent memory a New York City FC transfer fell apart due to a medical exam, so there's lots discussed about this Sylla medical, and about Schalke and their fans having very strong and very anti-NYCFC reactions to the transfer breaking down. A ripple effect of Sylla not signing is that it now remains an open and unanswered question of where New York City FC will turn next, to the transfer market or to their own roster, as they try to find a solution at striker to hold them over until Alonso Martínez is healthy again. After lots of Sylla talk, hosts Mark Radigan and John Baney and producer Andrew Leigh shift to some preseason observations coming out of NYCFC's friendly against Austin FC, and as the team sits on the verge of starting the Coachella Valley Invitational. What players and positions on the roster are we keeping closer eyes on as the preseason games start ramping up, and as the MLS regular season draws closer? Finally, we can't overlook the one big signing that New York City FC did successfully make this week: Sky Scraper, the team's new pigeon mascot. How are we feeling about the club's new big bird in not-quite-Timberlands? Opinions are mixed and varied, but there are plenty of opinions to be had about MLS mascots and Sky joining their ranks. Listen to the full episode, then find more of our coverage at HudsonRiverBlue.com or on social media via Bluesky, Instagram, TikTok, and Threads. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Transfer business has picked up at New York City FC, so this episode is almost entirely about roster comings and goings. The biggest NYCFC move is the first one covered, as hosts Mark Radigan and John Baney, plus producer Andrew Leigh, discuss the new Designated Player striker reportedly heading to New York City FC, Moussa Sylla of FC Schalke 04 in Germany's 2.Bundesliga. We wonder how Sylla's prolific goal numbers from the second divisions in France and Germany will translate to MLS, speculate how this new-look New York City attack might line up once Sylla is in the fold, and cover how Sylla fits on a roster now maxed out on its Designated Players. Sylla's arrival isn't 100% confirmed just yet, but NYCFC did officially announce the signing of Kai Trewin, the versatile Australian central defender and midfielder from fellow City Football Group side Melbourne City FC. Is Trewin the ideal Justin Haak replacement, and what might his best position be once he settles into life playing under Pascal Jansen? The first half of the episode is all about new players joining the NYCFC roster, while the second half is about players leaving or getting even further removed from the NYCFC roster. First, there's Julián Fernández heading back to Argentina to join Rosario Central on a year-long loan. While in past episodes the pod gang was on the fence about whether or not it was wise to part with Fernández, the pending arrival of Sylla and the continued presence of Talles Magno has changed a few minds about the importance of keeping Julián around for another season. Fernández will join another former highly-regarded U22 Initiative signing, Jovan Mijatović, on the list of loaned-out NYCFC players. Mijatović, though, is about to head to yet another different non-NYCFC team on loan, as he's set to terminate his loan to OH Leuven in Belgium early in order to join Eintracht Braunschweig in the 2.Bundesliga in Germany. It's been nothing but struggle for Mijatović since his club-record transfer to New York City FC, and we wonder if the two moves made by former U22 Initiative signings, coupled with the different age and career profiles of the recently-signed new players, indicates a shift in transfer philosophy on the part of New York City FC. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The new New York City FC Sporting Director held his first press conference this week, so Episode 73 starts with a healthy dose of Todd Dunivant discussion. Hosts Mark Radigan and John Baney and producer Andrew Leigh dissect some of Dunivant's first statements to the press in search of hints of what he might do now that he's in charge of NYCFC's soccer decision-making. Is a goal-scoring forward going to be his first priority on the transfer market, and is Talles Magno really going to factor into the team's 2026 plans? Questions that didn't outright get answered by Dunivant, but questions that left us trying to read more tea leaves. After talking Todd, it's time to talk transfer rumors. More and more reports keep popping up about Julián Fernández potentially leaving New York City during this winter transfer window. São Paulo FC in Brazil and now Rosario Central in Argentina supposedly want to sign Fernández on loan with an option to buy him, but the pod crew remains unconvinced that this is the right time to part ways with the 21-year-old attacker. We wrap up the episode by taking a glimpse at the downright scary 2026 Inter Miami CF roster taking shape down in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The reigning MLS Cup champions shored up in net by signing the Goalkeeper of the Year, replaced the retired Jordi Alba with a former Tottenham Hotspur FC and Spain left back, and are on the verge of adding firepower at striker in the form of a $15 million transfer for Germán Berterame from CF Monterrey. Their squad looks insane on paper and we're already wondering if anyone can keep Inter Miami away from the trophies next season. Listen to the episode, then find more of our coverage at HudsonRiverBlue.com or on social media via Bluesky, Instagram, TikTok, and Threads. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It's an episode of comings and goings as the New York City FC preseason gets started. Episode 72 starts with a discussion of legendary midfielder Maxi Moralez coming back for another season in 2026, still going strong as he nears his 39th birthday. Was it the right move to bring back Moralez for another season, and can we expect him to still be as ever-present in 2026 as he was in 2025? While Maxi will be there next season, it increasingly sounds like fullback Mitja Ilenič won't be with NYCFC much longer, as the 21-year-old Slovenian was left off the club's traveling roster for preseason and is reportedly getting loaned out to a club in Poland. Hosts Mark Radigan and John Baney and producer Andrew Leigh wonder if Ilenič got enough opportunities during his time in New York, and wonder if a move to Raków Częstochowa, reportedly only a loan with an option to buy, is the right one. Preseason is prime time for player rumors and the Ilenič chatter isn't the only transfer talk this episode, as we also cover a report that winger Julián Fernández is wanted on loan by São Paulo FC in Brazil. Do we buy this as a plausible move, and are we ready to give up on Julián after parts of three up-and-down seasons in New York? We wrap up this week's show by talking through the highlights from NYCFC's traveling preseason roster, namely that prodigal son Talles Magno is back with the team and officially taking part in the 2026 preseason. For a second straight episode, we wonder: Will this Talles-NYCFC reunion actually stick, and might he contribute in MLS this season? We also each shout out NYCFC players we're excited to keep tabs on throughout this preseason, from an injured midfielder making his comeback to a promising teenaged striker possibly filling Alonso Martínez's shoes. Listen to the episode, then find more of our coverage at HudsonRiverBlue.com or on social media via Bluesky, Instagram, TikTok, and Threads. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

New York City FC can now say that the club has produced multiple Premier League players. That's a fact because of former NYCFC striker Valentín Castellanos and his big-money transfer from Lazio to West Ham United FC of the English Premier League. Hosts Mark Radigan and John Baney first turn to the resident West Ham expert, producer Andrew Leigh, to paint the bleak picture of where things stand with the Hammers as Castellanos joins the club: West Ham is staring down relegation and has had a terrible recent track record signing strikers and getting them up to speed in the Premier League. Taty going to West Ham also nets New York City FC millions more dollars, reportedly over $5 million, in transfer profits thanks to the sell-on clause they retained when selling Castellanos to Lazio. How should NYCFC spend its newfound Castellanos money? The transfer mill is active in Major League Soccer, even if it's been quiet for New York City FC in the earliest days of new Sporting Director Todd Dunivant's reign. While the moves have yet to materialize, we still have thoughts on what positions NYCFC should most prioritize most on the transfer market before the 2026 season begins. One on-the-fringes NYCFC player with an uncertain future: Talles Magno, who just ended his time out on loan to Corinthians in his native Brazil. Is there any chance we see Talles make a triumphant return to NYCFC and MLS next season? The pod crew is split on that possibility, but we talk through all the potential next moves that might be on the table for Talles Magno as he tries to find a next place to play. Listen to the episode, then find more of our coverage at HudsonRiverBlue.com or on social media via Bluesky, Instagram, TikTok, and Threads. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It's our 52nd and final episode of 2025 and it begins with the sad business of discussing the official split between Justin Haak and New York City FC, following the Christmas Eve lump of coal that was the report, now confirmed and official, that he'd sign with LA Galaxy. Hosts Mark Radigan and John Baney and producer Andrew Leigh get into some of the reasons why New York City FC ended up letting their third-ever Homegrown go as a free agent, and on a one-year contract to a team within MLS. The crew also attempts to make some early guesses as to how NYCFC and its new Sporting Director will replace the versatile and elite defensive presence of Haak. Haak's departure was preceded by two new Homegrown players entering the fold for New York City, so there are introductions made to Cooper Flax and Kamran Acito, as well as a conversation about the recent approach taken by NYCFC to making Homegrown signings. Flax and Acito are officially on the roster, but four new 2026 MLS SuperDraft selections who may or may not sign and play for New York City FC. Two of the four SuperDraft picks, including First Round choice Ransford Gyan, get picked out as possible future MLS standouts, with the caveat that it's hard to know if the team's fourth and final pick in the draft will end up signing and playing for NYCFC. Enjoy one last 2025 episode and then find more of our coverage in the New Year at HudsonRiverBlue.com or on social media via Bluesky, Instagram, TikTok, and Threads. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We're joined in the first portion of this episode by Glenn Crooks, English-language radio play-by-player announcer for New York City FC since the inaugural 2015 season. He's got a new book just released, "Put It On Frame: Stories and Strategies from Top Soccer Coaches and Experts," so he tells hosts John Baney and Mark Radigan and producer Andrew Leigh about the process of interviewing all the coaches and influential figures of the sport who end up in the book, like Emma Hayes of the United States women's national team and Mikey Varas of San Diego FC. There's talk of some of the things the most successful coaches tend to have in common, and, given Glenn's 11-season stint as New York City FC's radio voice, we also have him tell us what stands out about NYCFC's current coach, Pascal Jansen. We wrap up our talk with Glenn by discussing his reaching the milestone of 400 NYCFC matches called, and by getting his thoughts on the current state of MLS broadcast and media coverage. After our short break, it's just your usual trinity back to discuss what looks like the pending departure of Justin Haak, with his contract talks with New York City reportedly broken down and not looking to end up with Haak and NYCFC reuniting. We each weigh in on how badly New York City FC's front office fumbled the Haak situation, and we seem to collectively hope he doesn't join another MLS squad but instead goes and tests himself at one of the multiple European clubs reportedly interested in signing Haak. Listen to the episode in its entirety, then find more of our coverage at HudsonRiverBlue.com or on social media via Bluesky, Instagram, TikTok, and Threads. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We're coming to grips with the end of another Major League Soccer season to begin Episode 68, as we revisit Inter Miami CF's 3-1 win over Vancouver Whitecaps FC in the 2025 MLS Cup final. Lionel Messi and this Miami super-team added another trophy to the collection, and we're in agreement that Messi had to win MLS Cup in Given that Hudson River Blue is in the midst of publishing a series of final 2025 report cards for members of the New York City FC roster, we then dedicate a big chunk of this episode to running through some of our own 2025 season superlatives. Each of hosts Mark Radigan and John Baney and producer Andrew Leigh grade the totality of the New York City FC season, then name their Player of the Season, most memorable moments, best new arrivals, and most improved players. Once our end-of-year grading of NYCFC is wrapped up, we move on to talking about the hours-long spectacle that was the 2026 FIFA World Cup Draw, and more importantly, all the World Cup groups and group-stage matches confirmed by the draw. We discuss the favorable but not what we'd call easy draw for the United States men's national team, and the five enticing group matches confirmed for MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, while calling out a few other games and groups we're excited to watch next summer. Listen to the episode in its entirety, then find more of our coverage at HudsonRiverBlue.com or on social media via Bluesky, Instagram, TikTok, and Threads. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The 2025 season ended in ugly fashion for New York City FC, and Episode 67 has to start with that ending: The Eastern Conference Final in South Florida, where Inter Miami CF ran wild and beat New York City 5-1 to advance to MLS Cup and kill New York City's cup dream. Hosts Mark Radigan and John Baney and producer Andrew Leigh review what went wrong for New York City at Chase Stadium, from defensive miscues to wasted scoring opportunities and everything in between. We wonder if the heavy defeat detracts from the rest of the run New York City made through the MLS Cup Playoffs, and reflect on where the team stands now that they've come up short in the postseason. The Eastern Conference Final didn't work out, but New York City pivoted quickly into offseason action after the defeat, giving us our next big topic of the episode: The club's newly-appointed Sporting Director, Todd Dunivant. We fill you in on some of Dunivant's background as a soccer executive and as a long-tenured, highly successful player in Major League Soccer. Dunivant has decisions aplenty to make once he's settled into the Sporting Director role, but NYCFC already made a wave of end-of-year roster decisions to kick off the offseason. That means we're spending some time debating who stays or who goes out of the three out-of-contract players New York City is still in negotiations with – Justin Haak, Maxi Moralez, and Andrés Perea. The 2025 ride has ended, but there's no rest for the weary as the build toward 2026 begins. Listen to this episode in its entirety, then find more of our coverage at HudsonRiverBlue.com or on social media via Bluesky, Instagram, TikTok, and Threads. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This Thanksgiving Week episode has us with lots to be thankful for on the New York City FC side, as we're discussing both a shocking upset win over the Supporters' Shield-winning Philadelphia Union, and a tasty upcoming matchup against Inter Miami and Lionel Messi in the Eastern Conference Final. Two-man show this week as host John Baney and producer Andrew Leigh take you back through the highs of that most satisfying yet slightly nervy 1-0 victory for New York City at Subaru Park, which included a few surprising but successful starting lineup twists from Pascal Jansen, one of the best New York City goals our eyes have ever seen, and some unreal saves made by Matt Freese against his former team to make sure New York City held onto their razor-thin advantage, in what John called "a legacy performance of all legacy performances." The win in Philadelphia felt iconic and is still fresh in our minds thus gets lots of talk in this episode, but we're not shorting you on an Eastern Conference Final preview, either. Lots to be said about Inter Miami and it's not all Lionel Messi talk, either, as we get into what's changed about Miami's team since New York City last faced them back in September, we get into the ridiculous run of goal-scoring form the team and Messi have been on in the late stages of this season, and we try to guess how Pascal Jansen will line his team up to pull off yet another playoff upset. Listen to the full episode, then find more of our coverage at HudsonRiverBlue.com or on social media via Bluesky, Instagram, TikTok, and Threads. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We have to start this episode by discussing Alonso Martínez and the devastating knee injury he suffered while with Costa Rica during the international break that divides the MLS Cup Playoffs. New York City FC now has to adjust on the fly to an injury to a key player that sends ripples across the club and feels like it could be franchise-altering, not just in these playoffs but in the next MLS season that follows them in 2026. Your hosts Mark Radigan and John Baney and producer Andrew Leigh try to pick up the pieces left behind in the wake of losing Martínez for the long-term, an injury made possible by the fact that the current MLS league calendar makes it necessary to pause for two weeks in the middle of the playoffs. Fret not, though, as after we've lamented the loss of Alonso, we're on to talking about how MLS will fix the exact international break problem that led to his injury by changing the entire league calendar starting in 2027. Say goodbye to February-to-December seasons and say hello to July-to-May seasons, plus there's a new winter break, and a whole reformatted competition format that does away with the Eastern and Western Conferences and creates a single league table, but with the twist of breaking teams up into five geographic divisions. There's a lot to digest about all the changes MLS is making in 2027 and we dutifully catch you up on all the biggest points there before we switch gears and get to the meat of this episode: Our preview of the Eastern Conference Semifinal between New York City FC and the Philadelphia Union. How will Pascal Jansen compensate for the absences of Martínez, plus the injured Andrés Perea and the suspended Aiden O'Neill? We debate the merits of lining up with three-at-the-back, set our expectations for who needs to step up the most amid the trio of absences, and wonder if some of the super-young players left healthy on NYCFC's bench will have a say in the result in Pennsylvania. Listen to the full episode to get as ready as you possibly can be for the latest playoff meeting between Philly and NYCFC, then find more of our coverage at HudsonRiverBlue.com or on social media via Bluesky, Instagram, TikTok, and Threads. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Nothing but positive vibes after New York City FC won a do-or-die Game 3 on the road in Charlotte. This episode starts with a complete unpacking of the away win over Charlotte FC that got New York City through Round One of the MLS Cup Playoffs and set a date with Philadelphia in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. That unpacking includes marveling at the pair of goals scored by Nico Fernández Mercau, praising the consistent greatness of the New York City defense over the course of the three-game series, and making picks for our New York City FC MVPs from the three matches against Charlotte. There's also some less positive fallout from the Charlotte triumph, specifically the awful fractured leg injury suffered by Andrés Perea. We lament the loss of one of the team's most important midfielders, a loss made more tough to take since it's compounded by another NYCFC midfielder, Aiden O'Neill, being suspended for the next playoff match in Philadelphia due to yellow card accumulation. How will Pascal Jansen compensate without Perea and O'Neill? Maybe it's lucky for the New York City coach that he's got two weeks to figure out his midfield before his next game, because we're also in the thick of another international break right now. This one comes with a few twists, like Kevin O'Toole getting called up by Ireland for the first time right as they play crucial World Cup qualifiers. We run you through all the national-team action planned for NYCFC players this November, but we also collectively wonder why players from NYCFC or any still-alive MLS playoff team are traveling to play World Cup qualifiers right in the middle of their playoff runs. No episode could be complete without some time spent wondering aloud about the logic of the MLS playoff schedule, especially as we wait over two weeks for the international games to end so the playoffs can resume. Get your MLS playoff fix in podcast form while the games pause for a few weeks by listening to Episode 64, then find more of our coverage at HudsonRiverBlue.com or on social media via Bluesky, Instagram, and Threads. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It all comes down to one game for New York City FC, and we're officially sweating the upcoming win-or-go-home Game 3 against Charlotte FC to decide who advances in the MLS Cup Playoffs. Before grappling fully with the stress of Game 3, hosts Mark Radigan and John Baney and producer Andrew Leigh review Game 2 at Yankee Stadium. The scoreless draw that became a loss on penalty kicks offered multiple points of frustration from the NYCFC perspective, and we cover many of them, including the conservative nature of Pascal Jansen's lineup and substitutions, and the team's inability to capitalize on the few good scoring opportunities presented before things went to penalties. With Game 2 covered it's time to fully stare down the do-or-die series decider at Bank of America Stadium. In previewing the biggest game of NYCFC's season, we weigh possible lineup changes to be made or not made by Pascal Jansen, and we try to find some ways to get Alonso Martínez better shots than what was available to him during a quiet and ineffective Game 2. The New York City FC season could march on or it could end abruptly, and this episode will get you as ready as you can be to go through the ups and downs of must-win playoff soccer. Listen to Episode 63 and then find more of our coverage at HudsonRiverBlue.com or on social media via Bluesky, Instagram, and Threads. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Bask in the afterglow of a New York City FC playoff win with us, as Episode 62 of The Hudson River Blue Podcast comes to you after Alonso Martínez scored an early "goal of the playoffs" contender to help NYCFC beat Charlotte FC on the road in Game 1 of their best-of-three series. We start the episode by giving you our immediate reactions to the win and by singing the praises of Martínez some more, given the quality of his winning goal, and also given how he's come to be Charlotte's primary tormentor. It wasn't all down to Martínez that NYCFC won in Charlotte, though, as we spend a fair amount of time talking about the lineup and tactical decisions made by Pascal Jansen for Game 1 in North Carolina. That means we get into the decision by Jansen to not start Hannes Wolf, the player with the second-most goal contributions on the team this season. We also discuss the fluid, unpredictable formation deployed by Jansen in Charlotte, which at times featured defender Kevin O'Toole operating as an out-and-out winger. Jansen's tactical decisions worked wonders in Charlotte, so the Head Coach comes in for some post-win praise to go with all the nice things we had to say about some of his New York City FC players. With Game 1 broken down to the best of our abilities, we shift focus to the weekend's Game 2 back in New York City at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. Charlotte will have Wilfried Zaha back from his suspension, but New York City now has all the confidence in the world after winning on the road, plus the advantage of now playing at their home field. How different will Game 2 look, given Charlotte now enters must-win mode and given that the series moves to Yankee Stadium? We preview all the possibilities and wrap the episode up by making some (confident) predictions about the next game in this series. Check out the episode, then find more of our coverage at HudsonRiverBlue.com or on social media via Bluesky, Instagram, and Threads. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The MLS regular season is over, and the MLS Cup Playoffs are next, so this episode is spent mostly getting ready for the start of New York City FC's best-of-three series against Charlotte FC. We can't jump right into our Charlotte preview, though, because there's Decision Day and one final regular-season game to revisit. Hosts Mark Radigan and John Baney and producer Andrew Leigh discuss the disappointments and concerns coming out of the loss to Seattle Sounders FC, flagging some points of worry that emerged for NYCFC over the final few games of their MLS season. With the dust from Decision Day settled, we also survey the full MLS playoff picture across the Eastern and Western Conferences and call out some of our most-anticipated match-ups set to take place during Round One of the postseason. Our main focus in these MLS Cup Playoffs, though, is the series between Charlotte and New York City FC. New York City has never won in four all-time trips to Bank of America Stadium in North Carolina, though a few factors – Pep Biel's injury and Wilfried Zaha's Game One suspension – are leaning in NYCFC's favor as Game One approaches. How confident are we feeling about this first New York City away day of the MLS postseason, and how do we feel about Pascal Jansen's team, given we now have a full season's worth of evidence on their strengths and weaknesses? Get playoff-ready by listening to the full episode, then find more of our coverage at HudsonRiverBlue.com or on social media via Bluesky, Instagram, and Threads. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We're pumped for MLS Decision Day in this episode because we're more than ready to know where New York City FC will finish in the Eastern Conference and who they'll face in the rapidly-approaching MLS Cup Playoffs. Our Decision Day-centric episode begins with hosts Mark Radigan and John Baney and producer Andrew Leigh talking through all the possibilities in front of NYCFC, as they have a chance to earn home-field advantage at the start of the playoffs by finishing as high as fourth in the East. To do that, they'd need a positive result in their own season finale, plus a little help elsewhere in the conference from a team with nothing to play for, and we've got mixed feelings on whether or not New York City gets its necessary combination of results to clinch a Top 4 finish. We still don't know where they'll finish, but we now know where NYCFC will play at least one MLS Cup Playoff match, and that's Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. How big will it be to return to the Boogie Down for playoff soccer for the first time since that magical 2021 run? It could be huge, and it also might well be the last time we see NYCFC playing their postseason games in the Bronx, given Etihad Park's looming arrival in 2027. Before we dive into our full-on preview of Seattle Sounders FC and New York City's final regular-season match, we review how some of NYCFC's most notable international call-ups fared during the October window of national team games. That means we spend some time talking United States men's national team and Matt Freese, but also, and maybe more importantly, Costa Rica and Alonso Martínez. After a break, we wrap up Episode 60 by getting you ready for Seattle's first trip East to face New York City since 2022 and their first-ever trip to Citi Field in Queens. The Sounders have absolutely nothing to play for, clinched for the postseason and locked into 5th Place in the Western Conference, but they've also got one of the more dangerous attacks in MLS. We wonder what Pascal Jansen will consider his ideal Starting XI for handling Seattle's various threats, then weigh in with our predicted results for the Sounders match as well as where we think NYCFC ends up in the final Eastern Conference table. After you listen, find more of our coverage at HudsonRiverBlue.com or on social media via Bluesky, Instagram, and Threads. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Episode 59 drops in the middle of an international break for New York City FC, but topics of discussion remain plentiful for the pod. Hosts Mark Radigan and John Baney and producer Andrew Leigh kick things off with a review of the 1-0 road loss to the Philadelphia Union, a win that saw Philly clinch the Supporters' Shield and saw the New York City FC attack silenced while the team lost ground in the race for home-field advantage in the MLS Cup Playoffs. Our conversation about the Union game includes discussion of the game's one and only goal, Pascal Jansen's lineup choices, and an off night in front of goal for players like Alonso Martínez and Hannes Wolf. Alonso Martínez is top of mind again as we discuss the most significant NYCFC international call-ups of the October window. The consensus is hoping that Martínez, freshly recovered from a leg injury that limited his availability for NYCFC, gets through Costa Rica's two World Cup qualifiers unscathed. We also celebrate James Sands and Matt Freese holding a New York City FC reunion in USMNT camp, and 17-year-old striker Seymour Reid receiving his first call-up to the senior Jamaica national team. Once we're finished analyzing all the internationals, we turn attention to New York City FC's now-former Sporting Director, David Lee. To coincide with Hudson River Blue's poll asking readers to single out Lee's best and worst moves as Sporting Director, we each make the case for one hit signing and one flop signing made by Lee since taking control of NYCFC's soccer operation in late 2019. Even without a new NYCFC match to preview, we had plenty to say, and after you listen to all we had to say, find more of our coverage at HudsonRiverBlue.com or on social media via Bluesky, Instagram, and Threads. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

There's so much going on in the world of New York City FC right now and Episode 58 of this podcast does its best to keep up with all the spinning plates. First order of business: Those two most recent NYCFC matches, first the heavy loss at Citi Field to Lionel Messi and Inter Miami CF, then the Hudson River Derby triumph over the Red Bulls on the road in Harrison, New Jersey. Hosts Mark Radigan and John Baney and producer Andrew Leigh discuss what went so wrong against Miami, namely that New York City missed injured striker Alonso Martínez, and that Pascal Jansen's roll of the dice to remove Thiago Martins and try Aiden O'Neill at center-back failed spectacularly in the second half. We spend less time on that bad Miami loss and more time discussing the dramatic win in the Hudson River Derby, with New York City all but eliminating their hated rivals from playoff contention on their home field. There's heavy praise for Nico Fernández Mercau's work filling in for Alonso Martínez at striker, and for the work of a resilient NYCFC defense to see out a close win despite losing star goalkeeper Matt Freese to injury in the second half. Match discussion done, we turn our attention in the second half of the episode to the shock departure of New York City FC Sporting Director David Lee. What will it mean for NYCFC to see Lee switch MLS sides and take over Sporting Kansas City, and what might his departure do to the club's general approach to building a competitive squad? We also make first attempts at summing up Lee's legacy with New York City, touching on some of the big successes he enjoyed while criticizing his handling of some of the talent that passed through NYCFC's halls but didn't yield anything in the way of transfer profits. Finally things wrap up this week with a preview of New York City's trip south on I-95 to play Philadelphia Union in the regular season's penultimate game. Can a possibly injury-depleted New York City squad play spoilers and keep the Union from possibly clinching or all-but-clinching the Supporters' Shield? Listen to our jam-packed hour of powerful takes, then find more of our coverage at HudsonRiverBlue.com or on social media via Bluesky, Instagram, and Threads. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It's one podcast episode, but it's about four different New York City FC matches. That's the name of the game at this busiest of busy part of the MLS season, though the fixture congestion isn't doing anything to slow down a scorching-hot NYCFC team that's now won three straight matches and climbed way up to 4th Place in the Eastern Conference. This episode kicks off with hosts Mark Radigan and John Baney and producer Andrew Leigh reviewing the club's two most recent wins, both at Yankee Stadium and both over Eastern Conference playoff rivals, Columbus Crew and Charlotte FC. We talk about Hannes Wolf's best season ever continuing in the form of another brace, the Columbus win representing his fourth two-goal game of 2025. The at-the-death winner from Julián Fernández and the pair of assists from Agustín Ojeda against the Crew also has us marveling at how much deeper the roster feels now compared to the start of the season. The good run would continue a few days later when NYCFC beat Charlotte FC 2-0 on Kids' Day in the Bronx, a game partially won by the goalkeeper with a new long-term contract extension, Matt Freese. Our Charlotte review includes talk of Freese's penalty-kick heroics against Wilfried Zaha, the defensive domination of a potent Charlotte attack, and what the win does for New York City FC's chances of finishing even higher up the Eastern Conference and Supporters' Shield tables. After diving deep on those wins, we shift into preview mode and try to figure out what we'll see across the two matches the team will play this Wednesday and Saturday night. How will the one visit to New York City by Inter Miami this season, for a Wednesday night game in NYCFC's second-choice home venue, compare to the hugely-attended spectacle that occurred at Yankee Stadium late last season when Messi first landed in New York City? The sheer volume and frequency of matches has us wondering when the lineup rotation from Pascal Jansen will arrive – though at least one of us, Andrew, is adamant that rotation shouldn't be happening during the second and final Hudson River Derby of the regular season. The derby might just be one match, but it also could be the result that pushes the Red Bulls right to the very brink of playoff elimination, a result that might be as close as NYCFC can get to exacting real revenge for the loss to the Red Bulls in the 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs. There's so much ground covered in this episode, which you can listen to in full here, then find more coverage on Bluesky, Instagram, and Threads, and by visiting HudsonRiverBlue.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Spirits are high and confidence is high on the pod this week on the heels of New York City FC's dramatic 3-1 win on the road over the Chicago Fire. Any pessimism that lingered from the disappointing loss to DC United before the international break got washed away by those three New York City goals scored on the shores of Lake Michigan, and your hosts Mark Radigan and John Baney plus producer Andrew Leigh kick off Episode 56 by diving into the team's big win over the Fire. That includes discussing the potential for Nico Fernández Mercau and the NYCFC attack to reach new heights now that the team's new Designated Player finally bagged his first goal, scoring the equalizer at Soldier Field. It also includes analyzing the debut of new defender Raul Gustavo, and wondering how the pieces will now fit together for Pascal Jansen, given he might have some tough lineup decisions to make with the Brazilian center-back's arrival and integration. The Chicago win gave us plenty to cover, but it also leads into two more NYCFC matches set to be played this week in quick succession at Yankee Stadium. The second half of this episode is a preview of both the Columbus Crew and Charlotte FC games, with all three of the gang surprisingly optimistic about New York City's chances against the Crew at midweek – maybe in part due to the key absences of players like Diego Rossi and Sean Zawadzki, and due to the Crew's poor recent form in MLS play. We're collectively less optimistic about Charlotte FC coming to town this weekend, given they're entering on a nine-match winning streak, and given that they're something of a bogey team for NYCFC, who own an unsightly 1W-1D-5L record in head-to-head meetings with the team from North Carolina since they joined the league. Will our optimism for Columbus and pessimism for Charlotte prove accurate or misguided? Listen to the full episode for each of our predictions for this two-match week, then find more of our coverage on Bluesky, Instagram, and Threads, and by visiting HudsonRiverBlue.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The biggest game of the season – so far – approaches for New York City FC on the other side of the international break. That international break meant there's no NYCFC match for us to recap, but the important games just keep coming from now through the end of the season, beginning with the weekend trip to the Windy City. Matchday 28 will see NYCFC travel to face the team one spot and two points below them in the MLS Eastern Conference standings, Chicago Fire FC, in what's not hyperbolic to call a playoff-like match-up. Host John Baney and producer Andrew Leigh begin Episode 55 by breaking down all the qualities of Gregg Berhalter's Fire team and how red-hot they've been over their last seven matches, pulling themselves up above the playoff line and onto the heels of NYCFC in 8th Place. New York City FC heads to Soldier Field looking to wash away the disappointment of the home loss to DC United that preceded this international break, and they're now into the final stretch of seven games that all really do have a playoff feel about them, given that six of the seven teams NYCFC has left to face this season currently sit in the Eastern Conference playoff field, if the MLS Cup Playoffs began today (sorry, 10th Place Red Bulls, not sorry). Taking another step closer to the playoffs for New York City FC will mean stopping the likes of Fire attackers Philip Zinckernagel, Jonathan Bamba, and Hugo Cuypers, meaning New York City will hope Matt Freese returns feeling healthy and ready to step back into the MLS grind this weekend now that he's wrapped up his responsibilities with the United States men's national team while on international duty. Speaking of the USMNT, the second half of our episode is all about the Stars and Stripes, with Andrew recapping his trip to Sports Illustrated Stadium to cover the big friendly between the USMNT and South Korea. That was yet another loss for the United States while playing in Harrison, NJ, and yet another troubling performance during the somewhat rocky tenure of Mauricio Pochettino, USMNT Head Coach. Our USMNT conversation ranges from questioning Pochettino's approach to the South Korea game and the limited windows of games he and the team have left before the World Cup, to wondering what his performances this September will do for Matt Freese's standing on the goalkeeper depth chart. Listen to our full split NYCFC/USMNT episode below, then find more of our NYCFC/USMNT coverage on Bluesky, Instagram, and Threads, and by visiting HudsonRiverBlue.com.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

New York City FC can't break the habit of losing to the lesser teams of Major League Soccer. The pattern held true when the Eastern Conference's last-place team, DC United, came into Yankee Stadium and won, and it's a pattern that has us starting Episode 54 once again wondering how to make sense of this team that can beat some of the top teams in MLS, but one that struggles against the league's strugglers, DC United included. We get into what went so wrong for New York City in the dispiriting DC defeat, and provide some context for what the loss means for the ongoing race for a spot in the MLS Cup Playoffs. The MLS playoff race is temporarily on hold, though, as it's another international break. The crew runs through the details for all nine New York City FC players called up by their national teams, then zooms in on a pair of the team's high-profile call-ups, Matt Freese and Alonso Martínez. Freese is back with the United States men's national team after his big Concacaf Gold Cup breakout, and we discuss what we're expecting to see from the NYCFC goalkeeper and the USMNT when they face Son Heung-min and his South Korea teammates locally at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey, then travel to play Japan out at Lower.com Field in Columbus, Ohio. Martínez, meanwhile, leads Costa Rica into a pair of crucial World Cup qualifiers, and right when his name is popping up in the European transfer rumor mill. While discussing Martínez's international and club success, we wonder: Will New York City lose Alonso to a lucrative transfer back to a team in Europe, or will the Costa Rican striker stick around even if he continues to score lots of goals for NYCFC and gets Costa Rica to the World Cup? Not content to end this episode speculating over an outgoing Alonso Martínez transfer, we also discuss the thrilling and surprisingly violent conclusion to the 2025 Leagues Cup tournament. Seattle Sounders FC picked up the only trophy they were missing from their cabinet, while Inter Miami CF veterans Luis Suárez and Sergio Busquets melted down after suffering a 3-0 loss in the final: Only prestigious tournaments like Leagues Cup give us this kind of drama. We covered a potpourri of topics on this special international break episode, which you can hear in its entirety here, and when finished, find more of our coverage on Bluesky, Instagram, and Threads, and by visiting HudsonRiverBlue.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.