NYCFC offseason outlook: Where do they go from here?

NYCFC was beaten handily twice this season by Inter Miami. The Lionel Messi-led side operates in a market of the same size or even smaller than any team based in New York, and yet they have more firepower than the city’s teams by a long shot. Unfortunately, this season, NYCFC fell just short in the regular season and the Major League Soccer playoffs.

This season was a buffer. Next season could even be a buffer. The team punched above its weight all year. It was the ragtag side that came together and showed both the chemistry and quality they have over most other MLS teams. What the team lacked in star power, they made up for in selflessness and creativity. Throughout the season, the team was usually a joy to watch. Last-minute winners vs. the Columbus Crew, ending Philadelphia’s year after they dominated the regular season.

The last two games against the league winners, Miami, were blowouts. It depends on what the expectations were of NYCFC this season to judge if this season should be considered a success. By most interpretations, yes. Until the new stadium is up and running, it remains to be seen if New York City will splash cash on an attractive transfer target.

Last Season

The team began this season without their number No. 10, the heartbeat of the team, Santi Rodriguez. Rodriguez won the MLS Cup with NYCFC back in 2023 against the Timbers in Portland. Now he is pushing for a spot for the Uruguayan national team with Brazilian powerhouses Botafogo.

The transfer window of opportunity for a replacement came and went. The season began with a question mark about who would lead this team.

Eventually, Nico Fernandez came in with a good attitude, unlike some other high-caliber players who had come from Spain’s La Liga.

Fernández’s contribution was seen mostly between the lines this season. He made passes that few other players on the team could, let alone in the MLS. He also handled a lot of the creativity in the final third of the field. The numbers will need to improve next season as an attacking player who only had a combined seven goals and assists. His match ratings down the stretch were phenomenal, however, but the team needs someone more cutting edge.

NYCFC improved with Fernandez’s and Pascal Jansen’s contributions. Justin Haak had the best season of his young career by far. Goalkeeper Matt Freese also reached new heights.

With An Eye on Next Season

New York City needs a star-caliber signing if it wants any chance of competing with Miami next season. Even Vancouver brought in Thomas Mueller. The German World Cup winner is past his prime, but he is the type of player who has the capability to flip any MLS franchise on its head. New York City should look to compete with Saudi Arabia and poach a top player with a few good years left who wants to live in the Big Apple. It should be a relatively easy sell, apart from the few 10s of millions more they would get in the Middle East.

Alonso Martinez suffered one of the worst injuries a striker can endure in the game of soccer. He will likely be out until mid-summer next year, with a complete ACL tear. Head coach Pascal Jansen has made it clear that he has faith in Seymour Reid, but relying on a 19-year-old to be your top striker or playing someone else out of position is below the club’s standard.

The question of re-signing Justin Haak is also on the minds of fans. Haak deserves a new contract that would make him one of the highest-paid players on the team. Haak may look elsewhere during the January transfer window. A loan to Europe to test his abilities against the best in the world could be on the cards. The NYCFC front office should try to keep him for at least another season before he outgrows the team, as his former teammate, James Sands, has done.

The Transfer Window

The midfield of NYCFC needs bolstering. Maxi Moralez will be 39 years old in February and will soon need to pass down the torch to another No. 10 that can pull the strings. Moralez has an illustrious career both in New York and abroad. He should leave the game on his own terms and mentor the next generation of creative attacking midfielders.

Johnny Shore showed promise throughout the season, but doesn’t seem to be an attacking player. Keaton Parks has battled with injuries, but has been a solid player that NYCFC should look to retain if the prospect of good health is likely.

If NYCFC wants to sell more tickets and win more matches. Bring in a player who soccer fans have heard of. The player need not be the caliber of Messi, but even someone like Rodrigo De Paul could be the difference between winning the league or just being competitive again next year.

Prospects

Malachi Jones should return in time for the start of the new season. Reid will have to prove that he belongs in the starting lineup or, at the very least, deserves significant time off the bench. Maxime Carrizo also has a chance to make some waves next year if he can show that the creative spark the team needed was in the academy all along.

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