The Soccer Journal Podcast

New York City FC's win over Philadelphia Union improved the vibes considerably following those two tough losses against Atlanta and Minnesota. While beating a hated rival at home is always fun, there were still plenty of questions to address about NYCFC coming out of the Philadelphia match.

Episode 34 has your hosts John Baney and Mark Radigan and producer Andrew Leigh wondering if we'll now see more of Justin Haak playing in central defense and also if we'll see more of Agustín Ojeda as a starter on the wings since both players looked good in the Philly win.

When we're done discussing current members of the roster, we dive into a fresh NYCFC transfer rumor, namely that the team is reportedly trying to sign 26-year-old Australian defensive midfielder Aiden O'Neill from Standard Liege in Belgium. Is a potential James Sands replacement the right signing to make as we approach the close of the MLS transfer window? We share our thoughts on that and give you some background on O'Neill in case he ends up making the move to MLS.

We wrap this episode up with a preview of NYCFC's trip to Gillette Stadium to take on New England Revolution on Matchday 9. Our scouting report: Do whatever it takes to stop Carles Gil, New England's one-man wrecking crew who has scored all New England's non-Thiago Martins own goal goals in 2025.

Listen to the full episode and then find more of our coverage by following Hudson River Blue on Bluesky, Instagram, and Threads, and by reading all our work at HudsonRiverBlue.com.

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It's now a two-match losing streak for New York City FC so Episode 33 begins with another post-loss autopsy, this one for Minnesota United's 2-1 win in a Sunday matinee at Yankee Stadium.

Your hosts John Baney and Mark Radigan and producer Andrew Leigh lament the sluggish start to the game from NYCFC while also discussing the team's wasteful possession and inability to break through a bunkered Minnesota defense once down by two goals after 30 minutes.

There's also a review of the big in-game decisions from Pascal Jansen, who made a rare first-half double substitution while trying to spark a comeback. What to make of the early hooks for Birk Risa and Julián Fernández, and what other changes should Jansen make to stop the skid?

That segues nicely into a preview of the upcoming visit from rival Philadelphia Union at Citi Field in Queens. It's New York City's first look at the post-Jim Curtin Union now led by Bradley Carnell, so there's a review of what's new with their squad and some suggestions as to what NYCFC will need to do to get a positive result against one of their more heated rivals.

One of NYCFC's biggest transfer needs is again a hot topic in this episode: A new Designated Player attacker, preferably a No 10 central midfielder. As it happens, a pretty big-name version of that player with a connection to City Football Group, 33-year-old Belgian superstar Kevin De Bruyne, is confirmed to be leaving Manchester City FC and available to sign this summer.

De Bruyne is rumored to be weighing interest from MLS and Saudi Arabia as he mulls his next move, so John, Mark, and Andrew all answer the burning question: Should New York City do whatever it takes to sign KDB?

When you've finished listening to Episode 33, get more of our coverage by following Hudson River Blue on Bluesky, Instagram, and Threads, and by reading all our work at HudsonRiverBlue.com.

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It's gut-check time in the wake of New York City FC's ugly second-half collapse in their 4-3 loss to Atlanta United FC and ex-NYCFC coach Ronny Deila.

Hosts John Baney and Mark Radigan and producer Andrew Leigh do their best to make sense of all that went wrong while NYCFC threw away a 3-1 lead at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which includes talking about the mistakes that led to the final three Atlanta goals.

It's not an entire segment of finger-pointing, but we do each weigh in on that particularly disastrous mix-up between Thiago Martins and Matt Freese on Atlanta's fourth match-winning goal, which naturally leads us to each make known who we hold most responsible for that specific mistake.

The tone gets more positive when the talk turns to the upcoming Minnesota United FC match at Yankee Stadium. Even though NYCFC just suffered that emotionally draining defeat, and even though Minnesota is in good form and boasts a potent attack, we all like the home team's chances during a rare Sunday matinee in the Bronx.

You'll have to listen to Episode 32 in full to hear the reasons for our confidence heading into the Pigeons vs. Loons Bird Derby. After you've done that, get more of our coverage by following Hudson River Blue on Bluesky, Instagram, and Threads, and reading all our work at HudsonRiverBlue.com.

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Episode 31 starts with hosts John Baney and Mark Radigan and producer Andrew Leigh attempting to properly rate the vibes emerging from New York City FC's 0-0 draw with Columbus Crew last weekend in Ohio.

Was it a positive result, a valuable point gained in a tough environment against a tough if shorthanded Columbus team? Or was it a concerning performance that showed just how badly NYCFC needs new players added to the roster if they want to beat the other top teams in the MLS Eastern Conference?

The draw with the Crew also featured the MLS debut of a pair of 17-year-olds, Máximo Carrizo and Seymour Reid, who together with 35th-minute substitute Jonathan Shore made it a teen-heavy match in Columbus. Mark Radigan explains why he views the involvement of these three NYCFC teenagers as "both a positive and a negative at the same time," which makes total sense when you hear him tell it.

That thrilling 0-0 properly digested, we move on to preparing for NYCFC's trip to the turf of Mercedes-Benz Stadium and the big emotional reunion with the team's former head coach, Ronny Deila, who is in his first season in charge of Atlanta United. There's some talk of all the feels stirred up seeing Ronny back in MLS, as well as Atlanta's tumultuous last year leading into the hiring of Deila. To wrap up our Atlanta preview, we tackle the big NYCFC question hanging over this match: How will Pascal Jansen cover for the possible absence of his midfield mainstay, Keaton Parks?

All that and more is discussed at length, but not at too much length, in this our 31st episode. Listen in full and then get more of our coverage by following Hudson River Blue on Bluesky, Instagram, and Threads, and reading all our work at HudsonRiverBlue.com.

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New York City FC made it two straight home wins by beating New England, but it wasn't the prettiest or easiest win over the Revolution at Yankee Stadium. That gave us lots of angles to explore as we discussed this work-in-progress NYCFC team.

Hosts John Baney and Mark Radigan and producer Andrew Leigh praise the performances from players like Julián Fernández, Alonso Martinez, and Keaton Parks, plus they touch on the adversity the team overcame in the win, namely the early double-whammy of a Thiago Martins own goal and an early injury to fullback Nico Cavallo.

Episode 30 then shifts to some news updates, including NYCFC being down four players due to international call-ups and promising young winger Malachi Jones facing a second surgery to try to correct his broken right leg.

We wrap things up this week by previewing the trip to Columbus, Ohio, which NYCFC will make without star striker Alonso Martínez, one of those four international call-ups. Is the match at Lower.com Field a golden opportunity for Mounsef Bakrar to prove his worth to new coach Pascal Jansen? Will NYCFC get its first away win vs the Crew since back in April 2017, given that Columbus will be missing multiple key players due to international duty, suspensions, and injuries?

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The first New York City FC win of 2025 arrived at the home opener and it gave us plenty to discuss.

We start with a rundown of all the festivities at the home opener meant to mark the 10th anniversary of NYCFC's on-field debut, with pod producer Andrew Leigh providing a boots-on-the-ground perspective on the nostalgic night at Yankee Stadium that included visits from Andrea Pirlo, Kwadwo Poku, and others.

Then it's time for hosts John Baney and Mark Radigan to review the much-needed 2-1 win over Orlando City, which was heavy on the storylines. Mark was impressed by Hannes Wolf scoring the match-winning goal and thinks this will be a turning point for the Austrian, while both he and John rave about the Player of the Match performance in the midfield from 17-year-old Jonny Shore.

The discussion then moves on to Matchday 4's visit to Yankee Stadium from the New England Revolution, a team with zero goals scored in three MLS matches played so far this season. Can New York City build on that home-opener win and maybe target a first clean sheet of the season against New England's struggling attack? Easier said than done in the weird world of Major League Soccer, but confidence is growing with one win now under Pascal Jansen's belt.

Listen to the full episode and then make sure you’re following Hudson River Blue on Bluesky, Instagram, and Threads, and reading all our coverage at HudsonRiverBlue.com.

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It's home opener week for New York City FC and that means it's a time for anticipation and nostalgia on the Hudson River Blue Podcast.

Before getting into all the excitement and build-up to the first NYCFC home match of the 2025 season, hosts John Baney and Mark Radigan break down the 1-0 away loss to LAFC. That means attempting to understand the lack of decent NYCFC scoring chances, trying to figure out all that went wrong on that 86th-minute Ryan Hollingshead goal, and focusing on some individual players who stood out for the right and wrong reasons for New York City in its first loss of the season.

Season-opening road trip sorted out, the episode then shifts focus to the big 2025 home opener at Yankee Soccer Stadium in the Bronx. Despite the winless start to the season and the in-flux state of the roster, optimism abounds about the year's first home match. We get into the specifics of the match-up and offer predictions about who plays and who doesn't, but we also get nostalgic about past home openers and past meetings with Orlando City.

Maybe that's because NYCFC has been busy celebrating its 10th anniversary leading up to this game, trotting out Andrea Pirlo and harkening back to the team's inaugural campaign. That the home opener against Orlando City will be played on the same date these teams played the first competitive games in each of their existences back in 2015 will be a nice cherry on top of the nostalgia sundae.

Listen to the full episode and then make sure you’re following Hudson River Blue on Bluesky, Instagram, and Threads, and reading all our coverage at HudsonRiverBlue.com.

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New York City FC's drama-filled, chaotic 2-2 draw with Lionel Messi and Inter Miami CF to open the 2025 Major League Soccer season gave us lots to unpack.

Hosts John Baney and Mark Radigan cover big points like the gut-punch Miami equalizer in the 10th minute of second-half stoppage time, Mitja Ilenič's clever set-piece goal and Messi-trolling Cristiano Ronaldo celebration, and the first big in-game moves made by new NYCFC coach Pascal Jansen.

Discussing Jansen's moves means spending some time talking about 17-year-old Homegrown midfielder Jonathan Shore's MLS debut right at the start of the second half, Justin Haak's slide back to center-back in place of an almost-sent-off Strahinja Tanasijević, and a continued reliance on ageless playmaker Maxi Moralez.

Talk then shifts to a Matchday 2 preview of the game at BMO Stadium against LAFC. We marvel at the toughness of NYCFC's two road matches to start the 2025 MLS season and try to figure out what, if any, changes Pascal Jansen might make to his lineup or his approach for this second competitive game in charge.

Listen to the full episode and then make sure you’re following Hudson River Blue on Bluesky, Instagram, and Threads, and reading all our coverage at HudsonRiverBlue.com.

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It's the dawn of a new Major League Soccer season and the Hudson River Blue Podcast has one more big preview-centric episode to get you ready for a new year of New York City FC soccer.

We start by discussing two players who won't be on the 2025 NYCFC roster, Santiago Rodríguez who is about to join Botafogo in Brazil, and James Sands, who just suffered a rough injury while away on loan in Germany.

Then we preview the first match of the 2025 season, a trip to face reigning Supporters' Shield winners Inter Miami. Will their midweek Concacaf Champions Cup game in the extreme freezing cold in Kansas City give New York City FC a slight edge over Lionel Messi and company? More importantly and more uncertainly, how will NYCFC even line up for their first match of the season? There are Starting XI predictions and eventually score predictions shared for the big season opener in Fort Lauderdale.

There's also some time spent reflecting on what the expert MLS pundits out there think will come of this New York City FC season. Expert sentiment is that Pascal Jansen has a fringe playoff team on his hands, and we get into whether that's a fair assessment or not while dropping a few of our own predictions for how the 2025 season shakes out.

Episode 26 wraps up with our final preview of a specific group of NYCFC players, this time the team's forwards. Our big questions for the attacking players involve who starts on the wings, how much better Hannes Wolf can be in his second season, and if Alonso Martínez and Mounsef Bakrar will really see the field at the same time.

Listen to the full episode and then make sure you’re following Hudson River Blue on Bluesky, Instagram, and Threads, and reading all our coverage at HudsonRiverBlue.com.

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We're collectively on high alert for a Santiago Rodríguez transfer away from New York City FC, with rumors intensifying that the attacking midfielder could leave for Botafogo in Brazil's Série A.

Episode 25 begins with an unpacking of all that a Santi sale would mean for NYCFC and some attempts to figure out what's actually going on with his rumored big-money move.

The Santi talk leads our hosts John Baney and Mark Radigan into a discussion of NYCFC's ongoing preseason, which is noticeably missing Santi Rodríguez but is full of other storylines. Will Pascal Jansen really deploy Alonso Martínez in his attack at the same time as fellow striker Mounsef Bakrar? Will any of the unsigned MLS SuperDraft picks start the season by earning contracts with the NYCFC senior squad? 

It's also new 2025 MLS kit week, so time is spent discussing the bright New York City skyline-inspired Excelsior Kit just unveiled by NYCFC. That includes a lot of talk about the fact that the old NYCFC club crest remains on this year's new jersey despite the team unveiling a redesigned crest during the summer of 2024.

We wrap up our 25th episode by continuing our series of 2025 previews for different NYCFC position groups, this week covering the team's midfield. The absence of James Sands is a big topic, as is the need to figure out a non-Maxi Moralez option in the central attacking midfielder role, especially if Santi Rodríguez does end up leaving.

After you’ve listened to this episode, make sure you’re following Hudson River Blue on Bluesky, Instagram, and Threads, and reading all our coverage at HudsonRiverBlue.com.

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