A packed episode in which we discuss the two huge developments in New York City FC-land: The team's elimination from the MLS Cup Playoffs at the hands of the rival Red Bulls, and the subsequent decision to fire head coach Nick Cushing.

Episode 15 begins with a gut reaction to the news that Cushing is out after 107 games in charge of NYCFC, relieved of his duties by the team. Hosts John Baney and Mark Radigan discuss just how surprising or unsurprising this decision was, and wonder what main factors might have contributed to the decision to cut ties with Cushing.

Then we shift into postmortem mode and reflect on the season-ending 2-0 loss NYCFC suffered at the hands of the New York Red Bulls in the first-ever Hudson River Derby staged in the MLS Cup Playoffs. That includes a discussion of what went wrong in that game at Citi Field, but also what NYCFC and the now-departed Cushing could have done differently to prevent this unfortunate ending to the season.

With the derby disappointment dissected, the conversation shifts to the long offseason ahead, with a first discussion of some of the big decisions NYCFC will face before they kick off the 2025 MLS season. That includes deciding on the future of club legend Maxi Moralez, with varied opinions on whether or not he should return to the team for another season.

There is a lot going on with NYCFC as the 2024 season draws to an end and we tried to break down as much of it as possible in this episode. Listen, visit HudsonRiverBlue.com to read more of our coverage, and follow us on social media over on Bluesky, Twitter (X), Instagram, and Threads.

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