NYCFC Mount Rushmore

Davo15

Registered
May 20, 2014
2,001
3,170
273
44
Hamden CT
https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2020...-honoring-most-influential-players-every-club


So MLS website is doing this Mount Rushmore for every team thing. Limited to players only. It doesn't look like they got to us yet. I know we're kind of a young club for it but hell it's something to discuss/debate at least while nothing else is going on.

Villa is obviously a shoe in and for me Jack has to be on there too. After that I think there's a lot of debate to be had. Maxi? Ring? Heber do enough in one season considering how young we truly are to merit a dark horse space?
 
Villa and Maxi have to be on there. As good as Jack was for us, I don't think he wasn't here long enough. I think Ring is the third guy. I'd hear arguments for Johnson, Chanot, Callens, and I'd hear arguments for Harrison even though I'm not inclined to put him on there.
 
I'd put Villa, Maxi, Johnson, McNamara - he may not have been great, but for the years he was he was, and technically was the longest player on the squad right?
If it's straight up "good" then I'd put chanot or callens.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jock
It's a tough call for a youngish team that has no hardware (so nobody edges in for pushing us to the top one special year), a poor DP history, major turnover (until this year) and our fan favorite MLS journeyman lifer only had 3 productive seasons with us. Oh, and the player who has I think the longest tenure with the team outside of David Villa -- Matarrita -- is not well loved by the fanbase.

I start with Villa and Maxi for sure. Villa and Maxi have far outshone every other offensive player and nobody else on that end of the field is even under consideration. Harrison gave us barely more than 1.5 years, and I don't begrudge him leaving, but for that short a tenure I need more than 0.56 G+A/90. Then I have to include at least 1 of either Chanot or Callens. Chanot has been here a half-season longer but Callens gets the nod. Despite coming a half-season later he has played more games than Chanot and he's also more reliable when playing. Finally I'm down to Johnson or Ring. Johnson and Ring arrived at the same time, and both are still here. Neither has missed any significant time to injury, and both have started almost every game since arriving. Though I sense Ring's reputation among NYC fans is lower now than 2 years ago, I don't think it has slipped around the league, and at his best Ring is top 5 or even arguably top 1 in MLS at his position. I think Sean is a notch lower. He's strong in distribution and open play shot stopping, but not so great at set pieces and I've never once seen him stop a PK that was not horribly struck. But I'll still give Johnson the edge, as the defining constant of NYCFC's play style since the beginning of 2016 has been building from the back, and since 2017 he has been the base for that and I think it makes sense to have both both a goalkeeper and CB in NYCFC's Mt. Rushmore.
 
Last edited:
Other names to throw out there that no one has mentioned in no particular order are Lampard, Pirlo, Herrera, and Tinnerholm. They all play/played at some what higher of a level than the rest of the team at the time they were here. While I dont think any of the four reach the level of NYC's Mt. Rushmore I would definitely hear an argument for 2015/2016 Pirlo for being one of our best assets at the time (and also greatest liability). For all the love he got on this forum I always felt that Herrera wasnt the game changer that we needed him to be. Lampard's signing drama and injury takes him out of the running in my book. Lastly, I think Tinnerholm should get much more love and would be right on the outside of Rushmore because hes such a solid player and is one of best players in the league at his current position. I believe he was the upgrade for RJ Allen and wow that's a huge improvement from the pushing and pulling RJ used to do.
 
Last edited:
If you want to look at offense, here are some stats on all time goals & assists

Villa 77-26
Maxi 21-45
ITS 16-7
Lamp 15-4
Heber 15-4
Jack H 14-13
TMac 13-12
Taty 12-7
Mitri 12-3
Jesus 9-9
Shelton 6-10
Ring 6-9
Mullens 6-4
Tinnerholm 5-14
Poku 5-7
---
Mata 4-10
Pirlo 1-17
 
I'd put Villa, Maxi, Johnson, McNamara - he may not have been great, but for the years he was he was, and technically was the longest player on the squad right?
If it's straight up "good" then I'd put chanot or callens.
I like Tommy in the Theodore Roosevelt spot -- doesn't really deserve it, but it makes people happy.
 
I like Tommy in the Theodore Roosevelt spot -- doesn't really deserve it, but it makes people happy.
To be very honest, that's exactly why I picked him! lol. The other three are super deserving of the spot, but Tmac sneaking his way in is just great imo heh
 
If you're going to troll, go all in. Replace Villa with Pirlo and this is one hot take.
True, I didn't troll hard enough.

In actuality, I think Villa, Callens, Maxi, and Ring are the deserving 4. Chanot would be up there but too many errors costing us games, especially in big matches (RBNJ, ATL, TOR) makes me believe Callens is the better option. The less you talk about defenders, the better they are. Chanot and Mata get brought up all the time due to their mistakes. Callens? Only mentioned when he makes his one time per game foray forward. He's made mistakes, but he's the rock at the back and has been the past 2-3 years.

Johnson is up there but I feel he has also not been as strong/consistent as Callens has in his time here.
 
since we're all messing around....

Villa, maxi, johnson and.........Acevedo ( i know he technically dont count but have high hopes for the kid, will become legend here)
 
Last edited:
The Extra Time guys went with:
Villa, Maxi, Ring, Johnson

They also said Vieira was the top coach and best team was last year, 2019. Vieira finished ahead of Torrent because they credited him with turning the club around, his general presence, and for being a trailblazer for foreign coaches coming to MLS in the last 4 years, including Torrent.
 
Last edited:
The lack of respect for George John in this thread is astonishing.

Some say he was our first great defensive signing. Some doubt his existence. I'll just say I've never been in the same room with him, that I know of.