New York City FC will compete in both the US Open Cup and Leagues Cup in 2025, but it's not so cut-and-dry for a lot of other Major League Soccer teams.

Both those Cup competitions just got new and slightly complex qualification criteria, and we spend the early part of Episode 23 trying to make sense of who gets into the Open Cup, who gets into Leagues Cup, and who gets left out. Given that we're talking trophies, we also answer the burning question: Which Cup would we pick if we had to choose one for NYCFC to win in 2025?

Another big topic this week is another player leaving New York City FC, this time 18-year-old Homegrown defender Christian McFarlane. There's talk of what's in store for McFarlane now that he's a Manchester City FC player, how his departure impacts the 2025 NYCFC team, and what to make of another deal between two City Football Group teams.

We wrap up this episode by starting in on a series of position group previews ahead of NYCFC's 2025 season, putting a spotlight on the team's goalkeepers. There's a no-doubt starting goalkeeper in place in Matt Freese, but with Luis Barraza gone, questions linger over who serves as Freese's backup on NYCFC matchdays. Will it be Alex Rando, or Tomás Romero, or maybe Greg Ranjitsingh?

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

The transfer market is hot elsewhere in Major League Soccer, but there's not a lot of exciting transfer movement going on around New York City FC.

This episode starts with an attempt to get to the bottom of why we've seen so little transfer activity from NYCFC during this offseason, an offseason that has seen lots of big-name talents – like Wilfried Zaha and possibly Miguel Almirón, to name two – make the move to the MLS Eastern Conference.

We cover NYCFC's tendency under Sporting Director David Lee to make their winter signings closer to or after the start of the MLS regular season, but also wonder if this quiet winter is a side effect of the team's heightened transfer activity during the winter of 2024 and summer of 2023.

There's also the Pascal Jansen factor, as in: Could NYCFC be holding off on making more roster changes until the new coach has joined up with the team for preseason and has had a chance to get a better feel for his new squad?

After our big transfer window chat, we wrap this episode up with a discussion of the United States men's national team, specifically how little we saw of NYCFC goalkeeper Matt Freese during this January USMNT camp. Freese didn't play a single minute in either of the team's two friendlies and was the only previously uncapped player in January camp to not make his senior national team debut. Mauricio Pochettino, that is no way to treat the 2024 MVP of New York City FC!

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

The 2025 preseason officially started for New York City FC, with the team jetting off to Santa Barbara, California with a 34-player preseason roster, but a roster that does not include striker Jovan Mijatović.

The 19-year-old is still in Europe and not joining up with his teammates for preseason while rumors swirl about a potential loan transfer from NYCFC to a European club. Hosts John Baney and Mark Radigan have lots of thoughts about the difficult Mijatović situation, wondering why it's gone so poorly for him with New York City while also speculating on how this drama between Jovan and the team will resolve itself.

Not content to only discuss a potential Jovan Mijatović transfer, things then shift to the moves New York City has already made, like re-signing Maxi Moralez, adding a backup goalkeeper, and formalizing Homegrown contracts with two young players. There's also some discussion of a possible Matt Freese transfer since the NYCFC goalkeeper finds himself in the rumor mill, linked with interest from clubs in the Netherlands and Germany.

Episode 21 wraps up with the show's producer Andrew Leigh running through numerous changes to the MLS roster rules the league announced before the start of the 2025 season. No MLS podcast episode is complete without a discussion of new twists on player trading and allocation money, contract buyouts, and oh so much more.

After you’ve listened, make sure you’re following Hudson River Blue on Bluesky, Instagram, Threads, and Twitter (X), and reading all our coverage at HudsonRiverBlue.com.

Matt Freese has been overdue for a call-up to the United States men's national team, but Mauricio Pochettino's first January camp as coach finally sees Freese get a chance with the USMNT.

We have a lot to say about Freese's opportunity and our hopes of seeing someone from the NYCFC roster grow into a regular presence with the USMNT, maybe in time for the 2026 World Cup.

Episode 20 also includes more talk about Pascal Jansen, as we react to his official unveiling as the sixth head coach in New York City FC history. Among other Jansen topics, we discuss his past success at AZ Alkmaar and elsewhere in the Netherlands coaching up promising young players and wonder about his impact on NYCFC's crop of Homegrown and Under-22 signings.

Things wrap up this week on a less-than-cheery note as we discuss Jovan Mijatović crashing his car into a pedestrian while spending his offseason in Belgrade, Serbia. A scary accident that's left us wishing for the best for the pedestrian and hoping that Mijatović can get something good to break his way in the wake of what's been a rocky first year as a NYCFC player.

There's no easing into a new year, as the first Hudson River Blue Podcast episode of 2025 had a lot of ground to cover.

That happens when news of a new New York City FC coach and James Sands's second departure break on New Year's Eve and Day, respectively.

First, hosts John Baney and Mark Radigan discuss the reported arrival of Pascal Jansen to replace Nick Cushing as NYCFC manager. There's talk of what the Jansen hire means for New York City, the statement of intent made not just in hiring Jansen but in buying him out of his contract with Ferencváros, and what we might expect from his NYCFC based on his previous coaching stints.

After first impressions of the newest coaching arrival, we shift into goodbye mode and react to James Sands's loan move to FC St. Pauli in the German Bundesliga. It's all praise for Sands, who our hosts say earned his move back to Europe, but his exit raises lots of questions about how New York City FC will look in 2025. Is a defensive midfielder now the team's most pressing need during this winter transfer window?

To wrap up Episode 19, we discuss the five players NYCFC recently selected in the MLS SuperDraft, with some unanimous hype around First Round pick Max Murray out of the University of Vermont.

After you’ve listened, make sure you’re following Hudson River Blue on Bluesky, Instagram, Threads, and Twitter (X), and reading all our coverage at HudsonRiverBlue.com.

Episode 18 of the Hudson River Blue Podcast is also the final episode of 2024, so end-of-year reviews are top of mind for hosts John Baney and Mark Radigan.

Before the conversation turns to a review of 2024, there's news to discuss and it's about Leagues Cup. The tournament between MLS and Mexico's Liga MX is changing in 2025 and our episode starts with a discussion of one major change that's been confirmed, namely that Leagues Cup will no longer be played during a month-long break, but will shift to a midweek tournament played while the MLS and Liga MX seasons continue concurrently.

This being the MLS offseason, we also touch on some juicy transfer news and rumors, like NYCFC selling midfielder Nicolás Acevedo to Bahia, rumored interest from Brazilian clubs in Santiago Rodríguez, and reports of a return to MLS for former NYCFC head coach Ronny Deila, this time with Atlanta United FC.

John and Mark then conclude our final 2024 episode by handing out their final grades to NYCFC's top and bottom performers, and to the team as a whole. How harsh of a curve are we grading on? You'll have to listen to find out.

Once you've listened, make sure you're following Hudson River Blue on Bluesky, Instagram, Threads, and Twitter (X), and reading all our coverage at HudsonRiverBlue.com.

Offseason has fallen across all of Major League Soccer, but this episode begins with a look back at the final match of 2024, the MLS Cup Final that saw LA Galaxy win a sixth Cup by vanquishing the New York Red Bulls.

Hosts John Baney and Mark Radigan discuss what a loss in the league's championship game means for the legacy of the Red Bulls franchise, as well as what it means for the always-entertaining rivalry between Red Bull and New York City FC fans.

With MLS Cup discussion done, talk moves to the offseason, which has started in earnest with signings, trades, and rumors. NYCFC has contributed to the rumor mill already with the trade of goalkeeper Luis Barraza to DC United and the ongoing negotiations over a possible return in 2025 for midfielder Maxi Moralez.

John and Mark also touch on the simmering rumor that former Philadelphia Union coach and longtime NYCFC rival Jim Curtin might be a candidate to replace Nick Cushing. How welcome would Curtin be as New York City FC coach?

Episode 17 concludes with one final bit of early offseason drama: The MLS Expansion Draft, which saw NYCFC lose Brazilian winger Thiago Andrade in a classic MLS transaction, with Thiago drafted by San Diego FC but then immediately traded to Toronto FC.

We once again are left scratching our heads at the absurdity of the Expansion Draft and the MLS roster rules, but that doesn't stop us from breaking down this strange turn of events for a player who had been loaned out by NYCFC during each of the last two seasons.

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It's down to the MLS Cup Final and this year it's between LA Galaxy and...the New York Red Bulls. Yes, New York City FC's fiercest rivals are one win away from hoisting their first-ever MLS Cup, and this episode starts with hosts John Baney and Mark Radigan sharing their thoughts on that uncomfortable possibility, while giving some begrudging props to the success of Red Bull's approach to games throughout their underdog run through the MLS Cup Playoffs. How big will the absence of LA Galaxy star Riqui Puig be, and does it all come down to whoever manages to grab that first goal?

Episode 16 then shifts to some New York City FC roster talk, specifically as it pertains to the upcoming MLS Expansion Draft in which San Diego FC has a chance to pick five eligible players from five different MLS teams. Mark has a lot of thoughts on the concept of expansion drafts, mainly that they shouldn't exist, but he and John also get into some of the tough decisions NYCFC faces while making a list of 12 players to protect from possible selection.

Things wrap up with a discussion of Etihad Park, which had its ceremonial groundbreaking and is shovels-in-the-ground as it moves toward opening in 2027. Maybe the positive future soccer stadium vibes will be enough to hold you over during the cold, quiet days of the offseason.

When you're done listening, be sure you follow Hudson River Blue on Bluesky, Instagram, Threads, and Twitter (X), and read all our coverage of NYCFC and beyond at HudsonRiverBlue.com.