This gets points for brevity, but I disagree on accuracy.
Yes, players play. But coaches set atmosphere (culture) and strategy (playing style and personnel choices) and tactics (in-game/half time adjustments and substitutions).
2025 Roster and Transfer Discussion Thread
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Yes, players play. But coaches set atmosphere (culture) and strategy (playing style and personnel choices) and tactics (in-game/half time adjustments and substitutions).
If you had Santi +1 offense DP (assuming Martins is staying), I think it is an interesting debate about the front 5.
Santi - Martinez - Wolf
Parks - DP
Ojeda - Martinez - Wolf
DP - Santi
I like the idea of a true successor to Maxi at the 10. But I’m not sure that fully unlocks this team. But Santi paired with a mobile and dynamic attack minded DP at the 8, that makes our link up from midfield to forward line intriguing. I’m not sure which would be better. But I like the question.
I'd like to see them test Ojeda out as a CAM with Santi on the wing. Ojeda still looks like his decision-making is a half step behind the speed of the MLS game, but he's improving. He plays with his head up and consistently looks for passing lanes. He looks like more of a creator than a beat his guy on the dribble type of player. Hopefully, a new coach can find a way to unlock him because he looks like the young player closest to breaking out.
i agree ojeda has shown the most out of the young, big money signings. i really wish he had more time to show what he can do. I thought his biggest problem was confidence to play. It felt like gray last year. He'd get the ball and instead of looking to go forward, he would play safe instead of taking risks. I thought if Ojeda got more minutes, his confidence would build and he'd be more willing to take the risks we need to take in the attack and make things happen. He has pace and talent and seems to know where to be to get on the ball. I think confidence will go a long way with him.
I think his best position is out on the wing, but he's got stiff competition with Jones. Though that's not a bad thing as they will make each other better. and Ojeda's ability to come inside at times may give us formation and tactical flexibility.
I will keep on saying it, if our big signing Jovan shows up already not wanting to be here and is so checked out that Cushing won't even throw him on, then that's at least on Lee. IDGAF about his age. Sign players who want to be here, are eager to prove themselves and understand that playing well in MLS can only help them get experience, improve as players and move to Europe eventually. The 8 mil on Jovan could have been spent on a proven player.
I want Lee out too. Any other club would have fired him for missing out on so many signings. Unless he's a puppet who's just there to be the face of decisions made in Manchester.
I want Lee out too. Any other club would have fired him for missing out on so many signings. Unless he's a puppet who's just there to be the face of decisions made in Manchester.
I'm guessing the club will announce their roster decisions next Monday before the league announces on Tuesday the players available for the expansion draft.
I have something of a conspiracy theory.
If he's planning to return, NYCFC will not announce Maxi Moralez being re-signed until after the expansion draft.
If they sign him to a contract before the expansion draft, they'll have to protect him or risk losing him. But if they wait to re-sign him until after the expansion draft, he's a free agent. They wouldn't need to protect him because as a free agent, San Diego wouldn't get any special rights to sign him. San Diego could pick him and Maxi could sign with NYCFC the next day.
The only other player who has a contract decision to announce is Luis Barraza. That move has already been made official - but again, it's possible NYCFC is doing some funny business there, too, where they've declined his option, making Barraza a free agent, but are trying to bring him back and will do so after the expansion draft. Those two decisions could allow them to, in effect, protect two extra players.
Jovan's agent doing some good work there.
Listen, it's pretty clear that Jovan didn't want to come and never wanted to be here, so I think it would be smart to cut our losses there. He may break out and become a star in the Bundesliga, but I don't get the sense we will ever see his best in New York. You have to want to be here in order to perform here, and I don't think he wants to be here.
SD would obtain Maxi's MLS rights though in the odd chance they select him, so we would have to get his rights back. If SD has any suspicion that maybe we are planning to sign either player, it would be wise for them to select the player and then squeeze us for some TAM/GAM. It would be a risk free move because they would be under no obligation to reach a new contract if we don't pay up.
I don't believe that's true because he's a free agent. No one has special rights to free agents. This comes directly from the expansion rules explainer on MLS's website:
I think that compensation comes from MLS, not from the signing team.
Luis Barraza was one of the players at the groundbreaking today, so it would appear NYCFC has picked up his option for 2025.
If they picked up Barraza's option, which seems likely since he was at groundbreaking, their only other TBA decision is whether they bring Maxi back.
speaking of roster, I went to the roster page yesterday while I was looking for photos of sims and lee... and I saw this:
www.newyorkcityfc.com
Rio Hope-Gund? Why don't I know who this is? Says was signed in the 2021 draft. but I have no recollection of him ever making the starting XI? Is he signed to a first team contract but plays on II or something?
New York City FC
All the latest news, scores, highlights, photos, and stats from New York City Football Club.
www.newyorkcityfc.com
I don't recall if he ever made it onto the pitch, but he's had a seat on the bench in 2024 for a few matches.speaking of roster, I went to the roster page yesterday while I was looking for photos of sims and lee... and I saw this:
Rio Hope-Gund? Why don't I know who this is? Says was signed in the 2021 draft. but I have no recollection of him ever making the starting XI? Is he signed to a first team contract but plays on II or something?New York City FC
All the latest news, scores, highlights, photos, and stats from New York City Football Club.
speaking of roster, I went to the roster page yesterday while I was looking for photos of sims and lee... and I saw this:
Rio Hope-Gund? Why don't I know who this is? Says was signed in the 2021 draft. but I have no recollection of him ever making the starting XI? Is he signed to a first team contract but plays on II or something?New York City FC
All the latest news, scores, highlights, photos, and stats from New York City Football Club.
Rio occasionally makes the bench when injuries thin our defensive options, but his presence highlights a deeper issue with the NYCFC roster: we carry a significant number of players who rarely, if ever, see the field. While I can’t compare directly to other teams in the league at the moment, it feels substantial.
Currently, four players on the roster—potentially a fifth soon—are young academy players who don’t play. On one hand, this is a positive sign for the academy’s development, but it also limits our roster flexibility. It would be helpful if the league expanded the number of roster spots designated for academy players, allowing teams to maintain depth without compromising opportunities for academy players.
Beyond that, there’s some puzzling, self-inflicted roster congestion. Last season, we carried four goalkeepers, which might have made sense if the team was preparing to move on from Barraza as a one-year plan. But if Barraza is staying, the reasoning behind carrying four goalkeepers becomes unclear. Similarly, Rio’s situation is curious—he’s been on the roster for a while but rarely sees any game time.
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