The Soccer Journal Podcast

There's still no New York City FC wins to be discussed but there is a huge bit of transfer talk to start this episode, with the reports that New York City FC got offered up to $25 million by Sporting Kansas City for Nicolás Fernández Mercau.

There's so much to be said about the reported offer and the fact that NYCFC was willing to accept it. The intrigue is multiplied by the fact that this big offer came from another team in MLS, and specifically the team now run, on the soccer side, by former NYCFC sporting director David Lee.

Hosts Mark Radigan and John Baney and producer Andrew Leigh wonder what this whole affair means for the relationship between Fernández Mercau and NYCFC, what it could mean for the rest of the 2026 season, and how both team and player move forward from here, even if Fernández Mercau stays put and doesn't move to Kansas City, which seems more possible by the day. It's a lot to unpack, given that it's among the wilder MLS transfer rumors to come along.

After The Nico Saga gets its due, it's back to on-field matters, and New York City FC's back-to-back away trips to Cincinnati and New England. Neither was a win, and one was a truly crushing loss, with NYCFC beaten by Evander in second-half stoppage time in Cincinnati. While that match ended in brutal fashion, it did include a promising, if imperfect, performance from new striker signing Luighi, who has integrated much more smoothly than the club's other new attacking reinforcement, Bénie Traoré — though, while concerns are raised about Traoré's slow start, no one is ready to write off the team's newest Designated Player just yet.

From Cincinnati it's on to the 1-1 draw with New England, a scrappy comeback result that required Pascal Jansen to make a double-substitution in the 40th minute after his team made a very rocky start at Gillette Stadium. The double-sub gets a lot of attention, as does the influence of James Sands and Matt Freese in grabbing at least one point to stop what was a four-game losing streak.

Next, it's time to break down the report from The Guardian that MLS will introduce a new playoff format for the 2027/28 season, and it seems quite complicated. We do our best to weigh some of the pros and cons of the new Australian rules football-inspired system that expands the playoff field to 20 teams, with a double-chance round for the league's top seeds. There's some appreciation for the single-table concept that isn't so hung up on Eastern or Western Conferences, but consensus is that the the whole new playoff system feels needlessly complex and like yet another unproductive change to the competition made by MLS.

The episode wraps up with a preview of NYCFC's weekend trip north to play Toronto away, a team suddenly in form and gaining in confidence, and gaining on NYCFC in the Eastern Conference standings.

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It was two losses for New York City FC in a span of four days, and it's now been three losses in a row, so hosts Mark Radigan and John Baney and producer Andrew Leigh begin this episode by diving into the loss freshest in the collective conscience: The disastrous performance in the second half of the 3-2 loss to Philadelphia Union at Yankee Stadium.

Your hosts try to get to the root of the collapse against the Union, from costly individual errors to the bigger-picture problem of this New York City FC team being severely bitten by the injury bug. The squad is thinned out and also trying to integrate or re-integrate a number of players who are returning from injuries, or who are brand new to the team and the league.

The loss to Philadelphia was bad but it wasn't the only loss to cover, as NYCFC also completed its latest Leagues Cup three-and-out by falling 2-1 to Club Necaxa. Struggles in this new version of Leagues Cup continued, with Pascal Jansen's squad finishing near the bottom of the table of all 18 participating MLS teams for a second straight year. What is it about Leagues Cup that continues to trouble New York City FC, and what were our bigger-picture thoughts on the tournament, its format, and how it should change in 2027 and beyond?

From Leagues Cup to a special segment about the big story broken by New York Soccer Journal's Michael Battista: That New York City FC II of MLS Next Pro will be relocated to Edison, New Jersey, rebranded, and set up as a new club that's commercially controlled by Hometown Soccer Holdings, with home games to be played at a new 6,500-seat multi-purpose stadium at Middlesex College. Michael joins the show to discuss his story, the potential for a new pro soccer team to stand out in this part of New Jersey, and how the Hometown Soccer Holdings initiative to rebrand and relocate MLS reserve teams might ultimately play out.

From there it's onto a double-preview for another two matches to come for NYCFC later this week. First it's the dangerous-in-attack FC Cincinnati, who New York City visit at midweek and who have the MLS leader in goal contributions, Evander, who also happens to be a particularly lethal NYCFC opponent. From Ohio to Massachusetts as we also get you ready for New York City's Sunday afternoon trip to face Jack Harrison and the New England Revolution.

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An episode of The Blueprint spent questioning, speculating, and daydreaming about what comes next for Major League Soccer now that there's a new MLS commissioner in town and his name is Larry Berg.

Before the league's future under Larry Berg gets a thorough investigation from hosts John Baney and Trey Fillmore, they start by looking back over the Don Garber era and attempt to sum up his significance to MLS and how the league grew under his tenure, which ran from 1999 through to the end of 2026.

From taking over a fragile 12-team league in 1999 and growing it to 30 teams, 23 soccer-specific stadiums, and a $250 million-per-year Apple streaming deal, Garber can point to a lot of improvements over time for MLS and say "Mission Accomplished." It's not all positives for Garber, though, as the league under the departing commissioner dealt with some strained relationships with fanbases, the Columbus Crew relocation saga, and a reputation for being hesitant to change while wanting to protect the MLS owners and their sizable investments.

With Garber's reign contextualized, it's on to the new guy, and what the MLS world can expect from Larry Berg once he ascends to the commissioner role. While Garber came from the world of marketing and the National Football League, Berg is someone experienced in private equity and has first-hand soccer ownership experience thanks to his years with LAFC.

Early on, Berg as commissioner is focused on improving the on-field quality of MLS as his top priority, particularly when it comes to rewriting the league's roster and spending rules, which he sees as a "flywheel": Better talent draws more transfer and media revenue, which funds more talent.

Your hosts discuss the sense of urgency around the potential changes to MLS roster rules, given the looming 2027 schedule shift, the need for a new collective bargaining agreement with the players in 2028, and the Apple deal renegotiation happening in 2029.

Berg's opposition to promotion and relegation in MLS is noted, as is a wish that Berg build better relationships with the other non-MLS-exclusive parts of the American soccer pyramid (US Open Cup, USL, MLS Next Pro).

The episode wraps up with questions submitted by listeners, including how Berg's legacy might differ from Garber's. Chief among the things Larry Berg should aim to do, according to Trey Fillmore: "Legitimize" the league. Both internationally and within American sports culture, more legitimacy could arrive for MLS if the league's on-field quality, media strategy, and long-term ambitions are all addressed properly by Berg in his new role.

There's a lot to digest and consider as it pertains to the new MLS commissioner and his influence on the league, but John and Trey cover a lot of ground while discussing what lies ahead for Berg.

Listen to the full episode embedded at the top of this post, or find it by subscribing to The Soccer Journal Podcast feed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever else you listen to podcasts.

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Through two matches, Leagues Cup brought plenty of highs and lows with it for New York City FC, and hosts Mark Radigan and John Baney and producer Andrew Leigh get into all the big positives and negatives to emerge from the win over Santos Laguna and the narrow defeat to Cruz Azul.

First, the positives, like keeping a clean sheet against Santos Laguna, a win that included an instant impact from new striker signing Luighi, who looked the part of a true No 9 and had slight roles to play in each of the two second-half goals that got NYCFC their victory.

Then, the less positive, meaning the tough 2-1 loss to Liga MX champions Cruz Azul. It was the most imposing opponent of the three New York City is guaranteed to face during Leagues Cup, and the match felt like a true trial by fire for certain players in the New York City FC squad.

Some, like defender Max Murray, made a great impression even in defeat, scoring his first goal for NYCFC and looking solid in central defense against a top-tier Mexican side. Others struggled, especially a few of the team's high-profile attacking players, and the negative result means it's exceedingly unlikely that New York City can advance to the Leagues Cup knockouts — though a chance, albeit a slim one, does remain.

Given the long odds of advancement and that the team's third Leagues Cup opponent, Club Necaxa, has already been eliminated, how will Pascal Jansen approach lining up his team, knowing there's MLS action coming soon after the meeting with Necaxa? Is it time to empty the bench, or does being mathematically alive cause Jansen to throw everything after a win?

After Leagues Cup talk wraps up, it's on to league soccer, first NWSL and the league leaders, Gotham FC. Gotham returned to their usual home field, Sports Illustrated Stadium, for the first time since May 31, and they're now unbeaten in seven games after earning a third consecutive 1-0 win in their Harrison, NJ homecoming. Gotham keeps doing it despite personnel changing on the fly, and your hosts wonder just how high their ceiling might be, given they're four points clear at the top of the table and looking like the toughest defense to crack in the league.

Then it's back to MLS and a preview of the Philadelphia Union, who come to Yankee Stadium in red-hot form since the World Cup ended, thanks to a breakout spell of performances from teenage phenom Cavan Sullivan, and from other big changes at head coach and at one of their Designated Player spots, since they welcomed back star left-back Kai Wagner. While NYCFC has had Philadelphia's number in recent years, your hosts are cautious heading into this one, especially since Nicolás Fernández Mercau will be unavailable while serving a one-game suspension for yellow card accumulation.

Listen to the full episode, then find more of our coverage at nysoccerjournal.com, or on Bluesky @nysoccerjournal.com, Twitter @nysoccerjournal and @NYSJPodcast, and on Instagram @newyorksoccerjournal.

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New York City FC remains unbeaten since the World Cup break ended, but this episode starts with hosts Mark Radigan and John Baney and producer Andrew Leigh breaking down a disappointing 1-1 stalemate with Toronto FC in the Bronx. From the bright start that featured a dime dropped by new signing Bénie Traoré setting up the penalty for NYCFC's goal, to the rest of the performance, which was an uninspired one from the home team that also featured a costly error before halftime that let Toronto back into it.

Also of note: Nico Fernández Mercau, who scored in his fourth consecutive MLS match and is now tied for the MLS Golden Boot lead, but who also appeared frustrated while being substituted off late in the Toronto game, with Pascal Jansen saying he asked for a sub, and with new comments from NYCFC sporting director Todd Dunivant (relayed by Andrew) doing nothing to dispel the rumors that Nico is the subject of an ongoing transfer saga that could end with him leaving the team.

Then the show runs through some news, first of the sad injury variety: Arnau Farnós, 2025 MLS SuperDraft pick turned first-team signing this spring, is out for the long-term after suffering a serious non-contact leg injury during training last week, with Pascal Jansen describing it as "quite severe" and one that featured "fractures," plural. The injury bug just does not stop biting.

There's also a new MLS commissioner in town, with news breaking that LAFC co-owner Larry Berg will take over for Don Garber in 2027. What will Berg need to accomplish now that he's in charge of MLS? John makes a compelling case for Berg's mandate being "convince owners to spend more money on players," while there's also the matter of trying to get MLS a lucrative new broadcast deal once their pact with Apple expires.

The United States men's national team is back in the news, too, because Mauricio Pochettino is back in the saddle as the USMNT coach, signed to a new contract through the 2030 World Cup. Your hosts are not convinced Pochettino will stick with the team all the way through 2030, and they're also not convinced it's a wise idea for the USMNT to try to get a second World Cup cycle out of a coach, given how poorly that approach has gone in the past.

The final portion of this episode is all about everyone's favorite mid-summer tournament: Leagues Cup. There's a refresher on the format, which is the same as it was in 2025, and which leaves teams with zero margin for error if they want to be one of the eight squads (four from MLS, four from LigaMX) to advance to the knockout rounds.

Then it's time to drill down on NYCFC's first two opponents from Mexico, Santos Laguna and Cruz Azul, and to share expectations for how NYCFC and Pascal Jansen approach these games. Is it going to be a repeat of last season, when a cellar-dwelling Club Puebla side ended New York City's Leagues Cup chances before they could even form? Or will a newcomer like Luighi, officially in the fold now and available for Leagues Cup, make a difference and help spark NYCFC to a true Leagues Cup run?

Listen to the full episode, then find more of our coverage at nysoccerjournal.com, or on Bluesky @nysoccerjournal.com, Twitter @nysoccerjournal and @NYSJPodcast, and on Instagram @newyorksoccerjournal.

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In this episode of The Blueprint, hosts John Baney and Trey Fillmore tackle the big-picture question everyone asks after a World Cup: What happens to American soccer now?

It’s all about figuring out what a post-World Cup soccer landscape should look like, and how well-prepared the United States soccer ecosystem is to capitalize on widespread cases of World Cup fever.

From the impact of the tournament itself, to the pay-to-play youth system that’s intertwined with American soccer's development and future, to Major League Soccer's role in all of this, John and Trey break down where the US Soccer Federation, American soccer culture, and the overall sport in this country go from here.

They start by sizing up the World Cup audience in 2026 when compared to the previous tournament in Qatar, with viewership skyrocketing from the group stage through to the final.

The World Cup created a palpable moment, but what does capitalizing on that actually look like, and who in American soccer stands to benefit most from that moment? There's also the concern that things like pay-to-play in youth soccer will hinder the United States' ability to capitalize, which John and Trey dig into, mapping out the layers of American youth soccer, from rec leagues to travel clubs to the MLS Next academy system, while discussing the cost burden at each level.

Then there's Major League Soccer, facing its own post-World Cup reckonings as the league considers changing its financial rules — scrapping TAM and GAM, loosening the salary cap, and adding roster flexibility — and eyes a lucrative new broadcast rights deal, one far more lucrative than the league's current agreement with Apple.

How confident are John and Trey that American soccer and the country’s soccer culture at large can seize this moment? They each give you a confidence rating to close out the episode.

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No easing back into it, New York City FC is back and is already two matches and two wins into the post-World Cup portion of the Major League Soccer season.

Hosts Mark Radigan and John Baney and producer Andrew Leigh get straight back into the NYCFC results, with plenty of takeaways to be shared from the 2-1 win in Columbus and the 3-1 home win over the Chicago Fire at Yankee Stadium.

There's Talles Magno, back healthy and reinventing himself once more as a center-forward, and what that means for newly-arrived Designated Player Bénie Traoré. The debut was underwhelming for Traoré in Columbus, but the show tries to put that debut in context, while also focusing on Traoré’s slightly more promising second appearance against the Fire.

The unsung, or maybe under-sung, heroes coming out of the World Cup get their praise, including Agustín Ojeda, in the midst of a breakout season. There’s also James Sands slotting seamlessly back into the center of the defense, and there’s still Nico Fernández Mercau, who now plays as a No 10 but is still capable of outrageous, camera-destroying golazos.

For the transfer portion of the program, it’s sharing the latest on NYCFC's possible loan signing of Luighi from SE Palmeiras in Brazil. There' also a report, unanimously doubted by the show that claims Nico Fernández Mercau wants to leave the club, following a separate report claiming there’s a team interested in signing him for a $18 million transfer fee.

From roster talk to a New York City FC match preview, and this time it's the club's red rivals from north of the Canadian border, Toronto FC. Josh Sargent hasn’t lived up to the $22 million price tag, and TFC is winless across the last 12 matches in all competitions, and winless across six straight meetings with NYCFC. Form and recent history might be on NYCFC’s side, but how does the show see NYCFC vs Toronto FC playing out?

Listen to the full episode, then find more of our coverage at nysoccerjournal.com, or on Bluesky @nysoccerjournal.com, Twitter @nysoccerjournal and @NYSJPodcast, and on Instagram @newyorksoccerjournal.

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The World Cup ended in New Jersey, and co-host Mark Radigan was there to see it with his own eyes, which is what kicks off this episode, a discussion with his co-host John Baney and producer Andrew Leigh about that 2026 final won by Spain.

You hear about the three-and-a-half-hour process to enter NY/NJ Stadium one last time, the pro-Argentina crowd inside that stadium, and the experience of watching Spain dominate en route to a second World Cup triumph.

After a World Cup farewell, it's on to more local topics, like the revelation that Etihad Park will host its first New York City FC match on July 17, 2027. One of the stadium's eventual co-tenants, Gotham FC of the NWSL, had a very busy week spent playing twice in New York City. Most significantly, the largest crowd ever to watch women's sports in New York City, 42,175 fans, turned out to see Gotham beat the Washington Spirit at Citi Field, so the show reflects on that landmark night and focuses on the difference it could make for adding to the Gotham fanbase and following.

From there, it's into a big block of NYCFC roster and transfer talk. There are confirmed moves made, like contract extensions for two players plus a trade, but there are also lots and lots of rumored moves, whether it's important players possibly leaving the current NYCFC squad, or other names, big and less-big, linked with possibly joining that squad. Mark, John, and Andrew touch on them all and find the logic, or illogic, in each rumor.

There are also some injury updates thrown in there for good measure, with some clearer understanding of Kai Trewin and Aiden O'Neill's absences after the World Cup, and how soon we might see previously-injured players like Kevin O'Toole. All helpful information to have since this episode ends with our predictions for the first two competitive matches NYCFC will play since May 23 in Nashville.

Listen to this jumbo-sized episode of The Soccer Journal Podcast, then find more of our coverage at nysoccerjournal.com, or on Bluesky @nysoccerjournal.com, Twitter @nysoccerjournal and @NYSJPodcast, and on Instagram @newyorksoccerjournal.

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The MLS transfer window is open, New York City FC’s first big signing, Bénie Traoré, is now in training with his new teammates, and the New York City FC roster looks deeper than it did before MLS paused for the World Cup. This episode of The Soccer Journal Podcast starts with our evaluation of that revamped roster, with a player like James Sands back from loan and with a player like Alonso Martínez working his way back to fitness following a long injury absence.

How will the starting lineup look now for Pascal Jansen with Traoré and Sands newly in the mix, and with that possible return from Martínez coming later this summer? Maybe more curiously, how many more moves might get made given the transfer window in MLS stays open until early September? We do some Starting XI arranging and consider some positions of remaining need heading into the heart of the summer and transfer season.

From there, talk turns to Matt Freese's selection to the 2026 MLS All-Star Game, an honor that arrives right as he’s taking lots of heat online for his role in the United States men’s national team’s loss to Belgium in the World Cup Round of 16. There’s still plenty positive to be said about Freese and his place among the league's best goalkeepers, but we also unpack how the coach’s selections actually got made for this year’s All-Star Game, including comments made by this year’s MLS All-Star coach, Dean Smith of Charlotte FC, that seem to put the focus more on World Cup participation than on stats.

The final portion of this episode is our farewell of sorts to the World Cup, including a reflection on some of our favorite big storylines to emerge from the tournament, like Erling Haaland's travels across America and Scotland fans briefly taking over the city of Boston. There are thoughts shared about the possibility of another France-Argentina final and a replay of the 2022 decider, and we discuss some of our personal dream and nightmare scenarios for the very last game of the tournament before it gets played over in New Jersey.

Listen to the full episode, then find more of our coverage at nysoccerjournal.com, or on Bluesky @nysoccerjournal.com, Twitter @nysoccerjournal and @NYSJPodcast, and on Instagram @newyorksoccerjournal.

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This week on The Blueprint, hosts John Baney and Trey Fillmore step away from the raw wound of the USMNT's Round of 16 loss to Belgium and dig into the story that overshadowed it: Folarin Balogun's red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina and the bizarre chain of events that saw his automatic suspension lifted just hours before kickoff against Belgium.

John and Trey walk through Article 27 of FIFA's disciplinary code, and the "suspended sentence" clause that put Balogun on probation instead of suspension, allowing him to play against Belgium.

There are scattered precedents to the Balogun ordeal, with cases involving Cristiano Ronaldo, Nicolás Otamendi, Moisés Caicedo, and, further back, Brazil legend Garrincha’s controversial reinstatement at the 1962 World Cup all mentioned.

They also break down the VAR protocol dispute at the heart of the original red card shown to Balogun, examining whether officials were even allowed to use slow-motion to review what wasn't actually a tackle attempt.

From there, the conversation turns to the messier part of this story: The political campaign waged by the United States government to get FIFA to unsuspend Balogun. That means discussing Donald Trump’s phone call to FIFA president Gianni Infantino and wondering how much, if at all, outside pressure from the US president influenced FIFA's judicial process.

The strongly-worded statements from Belgium's soccer federation and UEFA condemning the decision as a breach of competitive integrity indicate there was plenty of ill will being sent towards the United States, but did the surrounding circus really affect the USMNT's performance on the field in the lopsided Round of 16 loss?

This episode closes by looking at what precedent this all sets for the rest of the tournament, and what changes, if any, FIFA might make to its red card appeals and to its disciplinary process before the next World Cup.

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