Justin Haak [Midfielder] [HG]

[ZYanksRule]

Also, and the more I think about it the more I think this is probably the primary reason, is playing time.

Haak is (mainly) a defensive midfielder. We already have Parks, Perea, and O'Neill on the roster so there isn't a lot of playing time there. He played at CB but he was already battling with Gustavo for that spot, and if we sign another CB he would lose playing time there also.

This is a player that wants to get to Europe, but he needs playing time. You could certainly make the argument he would win some of those positional battles here, but there was a high risk of him getting layered over and not seeing the field as often next year, which torpedoes his chance at going to Europe.

 

[Shwafta]

Also, and the more I think about it the more I think this is probably the primary reason, is playing time.

Haak is (mainly) a defensive midfielder. We already have Parks, Perea, and O'Neill on the roster so there isn't a lot of playing time there. He played at CB but he was already battling with Gustavo for that spot, and if we sign another CB he would lose playing time there also.

This is a player that wants to get to Europe, but he needs playing time. You could certainly make the argument he would win some of those positional battles here, but there was a high risk of him getting layered over and not seeing the field as often next year, which torpedoes his chance at going to Europe.

Parks - do we know if he will be back this season? Perea is still an unknown.
either way, parks got the entire playtime this season, he started every match. I don't think playing time (specifically this season) was the issue, unless he really was that put off by david lee before the season.

I also don't think most of us expected him to be what he was this season, either.

 

[moogoo]

no interview. no goodbye to the fans. sad. but if this is the move he wanted then good luck to him. if what bogert says is true, it wasn't about money.

Justin Haak Departs New York City FC | New York City FC

New York City FC today announced that Midfielder Justin Haak has departed the Club to continue his professional career with the LA Galaxy. A Brooklyn native, Haak joined New York City FC’s Academy at the U14 level and signed his first professional contract with the ‘Boys in Blue’ in 2019,

www.newyorkcityfc.com

 

[Gene]

I don't know who this guy is, but if true am I the only guy who thinks this is odd?

https://twitter.com/x/status/2005686052976279756

 

[ZYanksRule]

I don't know who this guy is, but if true am I the only guy who thinks this is odd?

https://twitter.com/x/status/2005686052976279756

This is what LAG announced. One-year deal with a team option for the sprint season. Sets him up to go to Europe on a free, I would assume. Might make him more valuable to someone across the pond.

 

[Gene]

This is what LAG announced. One-year deal with a team option for the sprint season. Sets him up to go to Europe on a free, I would assume. Might make him more valuable to someone across the pond.

If that's the case then it might be assumed NYCFC wanted to tie him up with a multi-year deal that would keep him from Europe? But that's kind of weird, because the team never seemed to block anyone that wanted to move on.

 

[mgarbowski]

If that's the case then it might be assumed NYCFC wanted to tie him up with a multi-year deal that would keep him from Europe?

He has to know we would let him go as long as the club gets a proper fee. I think he just wants control, even at the expense of more guaranteed money. I'm not above reminding that I said as much 2 weeks ago on December 15:

We will probably never know, but I still believe the most likely reason he has not been signed is that he was determined to test his value both in MLS and internationally.* Even if the club offered him a raise and extension, and my guess is they did, I think he wanted to full control over any move, even at the cost of playing for less in 2025. This is mostly because I see him as someone who has come to fully believe in himself and wants to get all he can out of it. I think he decided to go high risk high reward, and it's likely to pay off for him. I'm not at all confident we could have signed him for any amount that would not have been a severe over-payment under the salary cap.

 

[mgarbowski]

no interview. no goodbye to the fans. sad.

If he's pissed off mostly at Lee, he's acting in a rather petulant manner towards the club and fanbase. There's stuff going on here we have no clue about. Maybe he has good reason, but as long as he's silent about it it's hard to judge. Even my "he wants to be in control" theory doesn't explain the manner in which he's leaving.

 

[LionNYC]

I don't know who to be mad at...and that's making me more mad!?!?!

 

[JayH]

no interview. no goodbye to the fans. sad. but if this is the move he wanted then good luck to him. if what bogert says is true, it wasn't about money.

Justin Haak Departs New York City FC | New York City FC

New York City FC today announced that Midfielder Justin Haak has departed the Club to continue his professional career with the LA Galaxy. A Brooklyn native, Haak joined New York City FC’s Academy at the U14 level and signed his first professional contract with the ‘Boys in Blue’ in 2019,

www.newyorkcityfc.com

I think his post on insta is a standard goodbye and nice note to the fans. There is a tinge of a suggestion that he wasn’t always happy but overall it’s positive. I wouldn’t have expected much more.

 

[ZYanksRule]

Doyle broke it down here. Basically, he thinks there's something akin to a verbal agreement that LA will re-sign him for more next offseason unless he gets hurt.

https://bsky.app/profile/mattdoyle.bsky.social%2Fpost%2F3mb5k7efh2224

 

[JayH]

Doyle broke it down here. Basically, he thinks there's something akin to a verbal agreement that LA will re-sign him for more next offseason unless he gets hurt.

https://bsky.app/profile/mattdoyle.bsky.social%2Fpost%2F3mb5k7efh2224

He’s on the Lee bad Justin bitter thing

“My hunch is it was too little, too late. Lee had effectively torched the relationship between the club and the player.”

 

[mgarbowski]

With due respect to Doyle, this changes nothing. At the end of the day, Haak and the Galaxy have a 1+1 year contract. Any handshake not ratified by the league, the CBA and FIFA is as unenforceable as NYCFC's secret deal with Lampard to start playing in February 2015 even though he had a real contract with Man City through summer 2015. If Haak develops even more than he has or he simply gets a European offer he likes, he can walk after 2 years and the Galaxy can't say a thing. If he gets hurt or regresses, he has no guaranteed salary beyond 2 years. He's still betting on himself with no net. That's the cost to both sides of sidestepping the CBA. You're really just pretending.

The category of contract in which you agree to agree on enforceable terms in the future is called "not actually a contract." This doesn't mean they won't reach terms in 2 years. They might, especially if he's happy there and performs in line with expectations. But nothing says they have to.

 

[FootyLovin]

So, list of reasons offered so far:

• Poisoned relationships - Lee et al
• Lifestyle change - LA vs NY
• Control - long term vs short term deal offer
• Playing time - in DM position
• ETA: trophy possibilities - team construction philosophy
• Money - seems debunked
• Move to Europe - seems unlikely

I'm not mad at Justin. He was a great homegrown player for us. I don't begrudge any of those reasons for leaving. If he were my kid and he wanted any of those things, I'd tell him to go get them. Good luck to him.

 

[Kenny]

• Money - seems debunked

His instagram handle is Ju$tin Haak so maybe we don't know the whole story!

I'm mostly kidding, it's probably an affect rather than an indication he's all about the Benjamins