2026 Roster and Transfer Discussion Thread

[gbservis]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1997810593257128401

@Corinthians
will not exercise the purchase of Talles Magno after the end of the loan valid until the end of 2025. Thus, the attacker will return to New York City and will not continue with the club in 2026.The information was disclosed by Premiere during the broadcast of Corinthians x Juventude.


I don't have a problem with this. Let's see what Pascal can do.

I like Magno, and it would be fun to see what he could do. I'm not sure Magno has any interest in playing defense at the level Pascal expects out of our wingers, despite being more than capable of it. He also feels very redundant to Wolf. Both are finesse-type players with little to no speed to get in behind. A Wolf, Magno, and Nico front line is not getting in behind anyone. If that's the plan, they'd better find a striker with some jets, or opposing teams are just going to play a super high line and compress the field on us.

 

[moogoo]

I like Magno, and it would be fun to see what he could do. I'm not sure Magno has any interest in playing defense at the level Pascal expects out of our wingers, despite being more than capable of it. He also feels very redundant to Wolf. Both are finesse-type players with little to no speed to get in behind. A Wolf, Magno, and Nico front line is not getting in behind anyone. If that's the plan, they'd better find a striker with some jets, or opposing teams are just going to play a super high line and compress the field on us.

i am hoping jones will make a triumphant return and have the qualities and fearlessness he showed before his injury. really rooting for that kid. if he can find that form, that's one set of jets in behind. it would be nice to have two options though. team needs to go find a #9 DP who can distract CBs to let wingers with pace run in behind. Nico plays a good false 9, but we will need him to take the #10 playmaker role assuming maxi will start to take a step back. or maybe he won't. maybe maxi goes full on modric on us and keeps playing until he's 40+

 

[KevinJRogers]

i am hoping jones will make a triumphant return and have the qualities and fearlessness he showed before his injury. really rooting for that kid. if he can find that form, that's one set of jets in behind.

Same here. And he's such a good person. It would be great for him to come back to the game he loves and get back on track, if for no other reason than to see a little justice in the world.

 

[KevinJRogers]

My guess is Pascal made it clear that the only way back into the lineup was by committing fully on both sides of the ball. Interestingly, that’s also when his attacking aggression really picked up.

This sounds right to me. Pascal got all up in Agu's pumpkin and basically told him, "Time to earn it, kid." And to Ojeda's credit, he did. Give me the guy we saw against the Union, or Miami for that matter (he ran eleventy billion miles covering for Tayvon), and I'm there for it.

 

[Gotham Gator]

@Corinthians
will not exercise the purchase of Talles Magno …

Well… we could use someone who can play striker…

 

[mgarbowski]

Well… we could use someone who can play striker…

We handed him that job in 2023 and he Bartleby'd that shit.

 

[joe]

maybe maxi goes full on modric on us and keeps playing until he's 40+

I always said Maxi is the Philip Rivers of MLS...

 

[mgarbowski]

Both Cushing and Pascal have shown they will play almost anyone over Ojeda and Fernández. Cushing used Perea on the wing, and Pascal played Nico out of position there while logging heavy minutes for Maxi, all to avoid starting them. The moment the team is allowed to add one or two competent attackers, Ojeda and Fernández will barely see the field, especially once Martinez returns.

This is complete speculation, but Ojeda was benched early in the season after being late, and before that, I don’t remember his defensive effort standing out much. When Pascal started giving him minutes again, there was a noticeable change in his willingness to track back and defend. My guess is Pascal made it clear that the only way back into the lineup was by committing fully on both sides of the ball. Interestingly, that’s also when his attacking aggression really picked up.

The drop-off in his finishing might be a fitness issue. He’s spent his career as a pure attacking winger, and now he’s being asked to sprint end-to-end and defend consistently. With that increased workload, it’s possible his legs are gone by the time he gets his chances, and he hasn’t fully adjusted yet. Still speculation, of course, but he is often the first attacker subbed off. If this is the issue, it’s at least a solvable one as his conditioning improves and he gains strength with age.

Through 16 games Ojeda averaged 33 minutes per game with 5 starts (31%). Then he played 56 minutes/gm in the next 8 with 5 starts (63%). Then in the last 10 games he dropped to 35 min/gm and just 2 starts (20%). In the first 3 playoff games he had zero starts and 11 min/gm until the Martinez injury, then he started both and averaged 75 min/gm. He played in every MLS games, both regular season and playoffs.

This mostly tracks with your analysis. The wrinkle is most of his improvement really came in those final 10 games when he again was playing less.

The Fernandez story is even more stark and is in just two parts. In the first 23 games he started 14 times (61%) with 55 min/gm. Over the final 11 he never started, had 2 DNP, and averaged just 13 min/gm. He played even less in the playoffs, 8 min/gm and zero starts. His biggest appearance was 30 minutes against Miami subbing in for Ojeda at '60.

Jansen gave Ojeda and Fernandez much more of a chance than Cushing did, but just like Nick he tightened the rotation in the back end of the season and those 2 were largely on the outside. Their reduced minutes also corresponds to the arrival of Nico in Game 24. Another note: team PPG in the first 23 games was 1.58. After that it was 1.91. I guess there's no shame in losing minutes to Nico. But I think it is telling that both Ojeda and Fernandez did. We basically went from a 5 player front line rotation of Martinez, Moralez, Wolf, Ojeda and Fernandez to a 4 man rotation of Martinez, Moralez, Wolf and Nico, with Ojeda as the favored sub and Fernandez an afterthought.

 

[gbservis]

Jansen gave Ojeda and Fernandez much more of a chance than Cushing did, but just like Nick he tightened the rotation in the back end of the season and those 2 were largely on the outside. Their reduced minutes also corresponds to the arrival of Nico in Game 24. Another note: team PPG in the first 23 games was 1.58. After that it was 1.91. I guess there's no shame in losing minutes to Nico. But I think it is telling that both Ojeda and Fernandez did. We basically went from a 5 player front line rotation of Martinez, Moralez, Wolf, Ojeda and Fernandez to a 4 man rotation of Martinez, Moralez, Wolf and Nico, with Ojeda as the favored sub and Fernandez an afterthought.

Personally, I think the roster decision makers, whoever they are, bought Nico in to start at CAM as a Maxi replacement. Pascal essentially said I would rather keep piling min on an underperforming 38-year-old Maxi and play my new high-profile DP out of position on the wing than play Ojeda and Fernandez. There might be some shame in that.

He also started KOT on a wing in the playoffs.....