Hudson River Blue Podcast

It's our 52nd and final episode of 2025 and it begins with the sad business of discussing the official split between Justin Haak and New York City FC, following the Christmas Eve lump of coal that was the report, now confirmed and official, that he'd sign with LA Galaxy. Hosts Mark Radigan and John Baney and producer Andrew Leigh get into some of the reasons why New York City FC ended up letting their third-ever Homegrown go as a free agent, and on a one-year contract to a team within MLS. The crew also attempts to make some early guesses as to how NYCFC and its new Sporting Director will replace the versatile and elite defensive presence of Haak. Haak's departure was preceded by two new Homegrown players entering the fold for New York City, so there are introductions made to Cooper Flax and Kamran Acito, as well as a conversation about the recent approach taken by NYCFC to making Homegrown signings. Flax and Acito are officially on the roster, but four new 2026 MLS SuperDraft selections who may or may not sign and play for New York City FC. Two of the four SuperDraft picks, including First Round choice Ransford Gyan, get picked out as possible future MLS standouts, with the caveat that it's hard to know if the team's fourth and final pick in the draft will end up signing and playing for NYCFC. Enjoy one last 2025 episode and then find more of our coverage in the New Year at HudsonRiverBlue.com or on social media via Bluesky, Instagram, TikTok, and Threads. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We're joined in the first portion of this episode by Glenn Crooks, English-language radio play-by-player announcer for New York City FC since the inaugural 2015 season. He's got a new book just released, "Put It On Frame: Stories and Strategies from Top Soccer Coaches and Experts," so he tells hosts John Baney and Mark Radigan and producer Andrew Leigh about the process of interviewing all the coaches and influential figures of the sport who end up in the book, like Emma Hayes of the United States women's national team and Mikey Varas of San Diego FC. There's talk of some of the things the most successful coaches tend to have in common, and, given Glenn's 11-season stint as New York City FC's radio voice, we also have him tell us what stands out about NYCFC's current coach, Pascal Jansen. We wrap up our talk with Glenn by discussing his reaching the milestone of 400 NYCFC matches called, and by getting his thoughts on the current state of MLS broadcast and media coverage. After our short break, it's just your usual trinity back to discuss what looks like the pending departure of Justin Haak, with his contract talks with New York City reportedly broken down and not looking to end up with Haak and NYCFC reuniting. We each weigh in on how badly New York City FC's front office fumbled the Haak situation, and we seem to collectively hope he doesn't join another MLS squad but instead goes and tests himself at one of the multiple European clubs reportedly interested in signing Haak. Listen to the episode in its entirety, then find more of our coverage at HudsonRiverBlue.com or on social media via Bluesky, Instagram, TikTok, and Threads. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We're coming to grips with the end of another Major League Soccer season to begin Episode 68, as we revisit Inter Miami CF's 3-1 win over Vancouver Whitecaps FC in the 2025 MLS Cup final. Lionel Messi and this Miami super-team added another trophy to the collection, and we're in agreement that Messi had to win MLS Cup in Given that Hudson River Blue is in the midst of publishing a series of final 2025 report cards for members of the New York City FC roster, we then dedicate a big chunk of this episode to running through some of our own 2025 season superlatives. Each of hosts Mark Radigan and John Baney and producer Andrew Leigh grade the totality of the New York City FC season, then name their Player of the Season, most memorable moments, best new arrivals, and most improved players. Once our end-of-year grading of NYCFC is wrapped up, we move on to talking about the hours-long spectacle that was the 2026 FIFA World Cup Draw, and more importantly, all the World Cup groups and group-stage matches confirmed by the draw. We discuss the favorable but not what we'd call easy draw for the United States men's national team, and the five enticing group matches confirmed for MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, while calling out a few other games and groups we're excited to watch next summer. Listen to the episode in its entirety, then find more of our coverage at HudsonRiverBlue.com or on social media via Bluesky, Instagram, TikTok, and Threads. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The 2025 season ended in ugly fashion for New York City FC, and Episode 67 has to start with that ending: The Eastern Conference Final in South Florida, where Inter Miami CF ran wild and beat New York City 5-1 to advance to MLS Cup and kill New York City's cup dream. Hosts Mark Radigan and John Baney and producer Andrew Leigh review what went wrong for New York City at Chase Stadium, from defensive miscues to wasted scoring opportunities and everything in between. We wonder if the heavy defeat detracts from the rest of the run New York City made through the MLS Cup Playoffs, and reflect on where the team stands now that they've come up short in the postseason. The Eastern Conference Final didn't work out, but New York City pivoted quickly into offseason action after the defeat, giving us our next big topic of the episode: The club's newly-appointed Sporting Director, Todd Dunivant. We fill you in on some of Dunivant's background as a soccer executive and as a long-tenured, highly successful player in Major League Soccer. Dunivant has decisions aplenty to make once he's settled into the Sporting Director role, but NYCFC already made a wave of end-of-year roster decisions to kick off the offseason. That means we're spending some time debating who stays or who goes out of the three out-of-contract players New York City is still in negotiations with – Justin Haak, Maxi Moralez, and Andrés Perea. The 2025 ride has ended, but there's no rest for the weary as the build toward 2026 begins. Listen to this episode in its entirety, then find more of our coverage at HudsonRiverBlue.com or on social media via Bluesky, Instagram, TikTok, and Threads. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This Thanksgiving Week episode has us with lots to be thankful for on the New York City FC side, as we're discussing both a shocking upset win over the Supporters' Shield-winning Philadelphia Union, and a tasty upcoming matchup against Inter Miami and Lionel Messi in the Eastern Conference Final. Two-man show this week as host John Baney and producer Andrew Leigh take you back through the highs of that most satisfying yet slightly nervy 1-0 victory for New York City at Subaru Park, which included a few surprising but successful starting lineup twists from Pascal Jansen, one of the best New York City goals our eyes have ever seen, and some unreal saves made by Matt Freese against his former team to make sure New York City held onto their razor-thin advantage, in what John called "a legacy performance of all legacy performances." The win in Philadelphia felt iconic and is still fresh in our minds thus gets lots of talk in this episode, but we're not shorting you on an Eastern Conference Final preview, either. Lots to be said about Inter Miami and it's not all Lionel Messi talk, either, as we get into what's changed about Miami's team since New York City last faced them back in September, we get into the ridiculous run of goal-scoring form the team and Messi have been on in the late stages of this season, and we try to guess how Pascal Jansen will line his team up to pull off yet another playoff upset. Listen to the full episode, then find more of our coverage at HudsonRiverBlue.com or on social media via Bluesky, Instagram, TikTok, and Threads. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We have to start this episode by discussing Alonso Martínez and the devastating knee injury he suffered while with Costa Rica during the international break that divides the MLS Cup Playoffs. New York City FC now has to adjust on the fly to an injury to a key player that sends ripples across the club and feels like it could be franchise-altering, not just in these playoffs but in the next MLS season that follows them in 2026. Your hosts Mark Radigan and John Baney and producer Andrew Leigh try to pick up the pieces left behind in the wake of losing Martínez for the long-term, an injury made possible by the fact that the current MLS league calendar makes it necessary to pause for two weeks in the middle of the playoffs. Fret not, though, as after we've lamented the loss of Alonso, we're on to talking about how MLS will fix the exact international break problem that led to his injury by changing the entire league calendar starting in 2027. Say goodbye to February-to-December seasons and say hello to July-to-May seasons, plus there's a new winter break, and a whole reformatted competition format that does away with the Eastern and Western Conferences and creates a single league table, but with the twist of breaking teams up into five geographic divisions. There's a lot to digest about all the changes MLS is making in 2027 and we dutifully catch you up on all the biggest points there before we switch gears and get to the meat of this episode: Our preview of the Eastern Conference Semifinal between New York City FC and the Philadelphia Union. How will Pascal Jansen compensate for the absences of Martínez, plus the injured Andrés Perea and the suspended Aiden O'Neill? We debate the merits of lining up with three-at-the-back, set our expectations for who needs to step up the most amid the trio of absences, and wonder if some of the super-young players left healthy on NYCFC's bench will have a say in the result in Pennsylvania. Listen to the full episode to get as ready as you possibly can be for the latest playoff meeting between Philly and NYCFC, then find more of our coverage at HudsonRiverBlue.com or on social media via Bluesky, Instagram, TikTok, and Threads. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Nothing but positive vibes after New York City FC won a do-or-die Game 3 on the road in Charlotte. This episode starts with a complete unpacking of the away win over Charlotte FC that got New York City through Round One of the MLS Cup Playoffs and set a date with Philadelphia in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. That unpacking includes marveling at the pair of goals scored by Nico Fernández Mercau, praising the consistent greatness of the New York City defense over the course of the three-game series, and making picks for our New York City FC MVPs from the three matches against Charlotte. There's also some less positive fallout from the Charlotte triumph, specifically the awful fractured leg injury suffered by Andrés Perea. We lament the loss of one of the team's most important midfielders, a loss made more tough to take since it's compounded by another NYCFC midfielder, Aiden O'Neill, being suspended for the next playoff match in Philadelphia due to yellow card accumulation. How will Pascal Jansen compensate without Perea and O'Neill? Maybe it's lucky for the New York City coach that he's got two weeks to figure out his midfield before his next game, because we're also in the thick of another international break right now. This one comes with a few twists, like Kevin O'Toole getting called up by Ireland for the first time right as they play crucial World Cup qualifiers. We run you through all the national-team action planned for NYCFC players this November, but we also collectively wonder why players from NYCFC or any still-alive MLS playoff team are traveling to play World Cup qualifiers right in the middle of their playoff runs. No episode could be complete without some time spent wondering aloud about the logic of the MLS playoff schedule, especially as we wait over two weeks for the international games to end so the playoffs can resume. Get your MLS playoff fix in podcast form while the games pause for a few weeks by listening to Episode 64, then find more of our coverage at HudsonRiverBlue.com or on social media via Bluesky, Instagram, and Threads. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It all comes down to one game for New York City FC, and we're officially sweating the upcoming win-or-go-home Game 3 against Charlotte FC to decide who advances in the MLS Cup Playoffs. Before grappling fully with the stress of Game 3, hosts Mark Radigan and John Baney and producer Andrew Leigh review Game 2 at Yankee Stadium. The scoreless draw that became a loss on penalty kicks offered multiple points of frustration from the NYCFC perspective, and we cover many of them, including the conservative nature of Pascal Jansen's lineup and substitutions, and the team's inability to capitalize on the few good scoring opportunities presented before things went to penalties. With Game 2 covered it's time to fully stare down the do-or-die series decider at Bank of America Stadium. In previewing the biggest game of NYCFC's season, we weigh possible lineup changes to be made or not made by Pascal Jansen, and we try to find some ways to get Alonso Martínez better shots than what was available to him during a quiet and ineffective Game 2. The New York City FC season could march on or it could end abruptly, and this episode will get you as ready as you can be to go through the ups and downs of must-win playoff soccer. Listen to Episode 63 and then find more of our coverage at HudsonRiverBlue.com or on social media via Bluesky, Instagram, and Threads. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Bask in the afterglow of a New York City FC playoff win with us, as Episode 62 of The Hudson River Blue Podcast comes to you after Alonso Martínez scored an early "goal of the playoffs" contender to help NYCFC beat Charlotte FC on the road in Game 1 of their best-of-three series. We start the episode by giving you our immediate reactions to the win and by singing the praises of Martínez some more, given the quality of his winning goal, and also given how he's come to be Charlotte's primary tormentor. It wasn't all down to Martínez that NYCFC won in Charlotte, though, as we spend a fair amount of time talking about the lineup and tactical decisions made by Pascal Jansen for Game 1 in North Carolina. That means we get into the decision by Jansen to not start Hannes Wolf, the player with the second-most goal contributions on the team this season. We also discuss the fluid, unpredictable formation deployed by Jansen in Charlotte, which at times featured defender Kevin O'Toole operating as an out-and-out winger. Jansen's tactical decisions worked wonders in Charlotte, so the Head Coach comes in for some post-win praise to go with all the nice things we had to say about some of his New York City FC players. With Game 1 broken down to the best of our abilities, we shift focus to the weekend's Game 2 back in New York City at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. Charlotte will have Wilfried Zaha back from his suspension, but New York City now has all the confidence in the world after winning on the road, plus the advantage of now playing at their home field. How different will Game 2 look, given Charlotte now enters must-win mode and given that the series moves to Yankee Stadium? We preview all the possibilities and wrap the episode up by making some (confident) predictions about the next game in this series. Check out the episode, then find more of our coverage at HudsonRiverBlue.com or on social media via Bluesky, Instagram, and Threads. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The MLS regular season is over, and the MLS Cup Playoffs are next, so this episode is spent mostly getting ready for the start of New York City FC's best-of-three series against Charlotte FC. We can't jump right into our Charlotte preview, though, because there's Decision Day and one final regular-season game to revisit. Hosts Mark Radigan and John Baney and producer Andrew Leigh discuss the disappointments and concerns coming out of the loss to Seattle Sounders FC, flagging some points of worry that emerged for NYCFC over the final few games of their MLS season. With the dust from Decision Day settled, we also survey the full MLS playoff picture across the Eastern and Western Conferences and call out some of our most-anticipated match-ups set to take place during Round One of the postseason. Our main focus in these MLS Cup Playoffs, though, is the series between Charlotte and New York City FC. New York City has never won in four all-time trips to Bank of America Stadium in North Carolina, though a few factors – Pep Biel's injury and Wilfried Zaha's Game One suspension – are leaning in NYCFC's favor as Game One approaches. How confident are we feeling about this first New York City away day of the MLS postseason, and how do we feel about Pascal Jansen's team, given we now have a full season's worth of evidence on their strengths and weaknesses? Get playoff-ready by listening to the full episode, then find more of our coverage at HudsonRiverBlue.com or on social media via Bluesky, Instagram, and Threads. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We're pumped for MLS Decision Day in this episode because we're more than ready to know where New York City FC will finish in the Eastern Conference and who they'll face in the rapidly-approaching MLS Cup Playoffs. Our Decision Day-centric episode begins with hosts Mark Radigan and John Baney and producer Andrew Leigh talking through all the possibilities in front of NYCFC, as they have a chance to earn home-field advantage at the start of the playoffs by finishing as high as fourth in the East. To do that, they'd need a positive result in their own season finale, plus a little help elsewhere in the conference from a team with nothing to play for, and we've got mixed feelings on whether or not New York City gets its necessary combination of results to clinch a Top 4 finish. We still don't know where they'll finish, but we now know where NYCFC will play at least one MLS Cup Playoff match, and that's Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. How big will it be to return to the Boogie Down for playoff soccer for the first time since that magical 2021 run? It could be huge, and it also might well be the last time we see NYCFC playing their postseason games in the Bronx, given Etihad Park's looming arrival in 2027. Before we dive into our full-on preview of Seattle Sounders FC and New York City's final regular-season match, we review how some of NYCFC's most notable international call-ups fared during the October window of national team games. That means we spend some time talking United States men's national team and Matt Freese, but also, and maybe more importantly, Costa Rica and Alonso Martínez. After a break, we wrap up Episode 60 by getting you ready for Seattle's first trip East to face New York City since 2022 and their first-ever trip to Citi Field in Queens. The Sounders have absolutely nothing to play for, clinched for the postseason and locked into 5th Place in the Western Conference, but they've also got one of the more dangerous attacks in MLS. We wonder what Pascal Jansen will consider his ideal Starting XI for handling Seattle's various threats, then weigh in with our predicted results for the Sounders match as well as where we think NYCFC ends up in the final Eastern Conference table. After you listen, find more of our coverage at HudsonRiverBlue.com or on social media via Bluesky, Instagram, and Threads. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Episode 59 drops in the middle of an international break for New York City FC, but topics of discussion remain plentiful for the pod. Hosts Mark Radigan and John Baney and producer Andrew Leigh kick things off with a review of the 1-0 road loss to the Philadelphia Union, a win that saw Philly clinch the Supporters' Shield and saw the New York City FC attack silenced while the team lost ground in the race for home-field advantage in the MLS Cup Playoffs. Our conversation about the Union game includes discussion of the game's one and only goal, Pascal Jansen's lineup choices, and an off night in front of goal for players like Alonso Martínez and Hannes Wolf. Alonso Martínez is top of mind again as we discuss the most significant NYCFC international call-ups of the October window. The consensus is hoping that Martínez, freshly recovered from a leg injury that limited his availability for NYCFC, gets through Costa Rica's two World Cup qualifiers unscathed. We also celebrate James Sands and Matt Freese holding a New York City FC reunion in USMNT camp, and 17-year-old striker Seymour Reid receiving his first call-up to the senior Jamaica national team. Once we're finished analyzing all the internationals, we turn attention to New York City FC's now-former Sporting Director, David Lee. To coincide with Hudson River Blue's poll asking readers to single out Lee's best and worst moves as Sporting Director, we each make the case for one hit signing and one flop signing made by Lee since taking control of NYCFC's soccer operation in late 2019. Even without a new NYCFC match to preview, we had plenty to say, and after you listen to all we had to say, find more of our coverage at HudsonRiverBlue.com or on social media via Bluesky, Instagram, and Threads. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

There's so much going on in the world of New York City FC right now and Episode 58 of this podcast does its best to keep up with all the spinning plates. First order of business: Those two most recent NYCFC matches, first the heavy loss at Citi Field to Lionel Messi and Inter Miami CF, then the Hudson River Derby triumph over the Red Bulls on the road in Harrison, New Jersey. Hosts Mark Radigan and John Baney and producer Andrew Leigh discuss what went so wrong against Miami, namely that New York City missed injured striker Alonso Martínez, and that Pascal Jansen's roll of the dice to remove Thiago Martins and try Aiden O'Neill at center-back failed spectacularly in the second half. We spend less time on that bad Miami loss and more time discussing the dramatic win in the Hudson River Derby, with New York City all but eliminating their hated rivals from playoff contention on their home field. There's heavy praise for Nico Fernández Mercau's work filling in for Alonso Martínez at striker, and for the work of a resilient NYCFC defense to see out a close win despite losing star goalkeeper Matt Freese to injury in the second half. Match discussion done, we turn our attention in the second half of the episode to the shock departure of New York City FC Sporting Director David Lee. What will it mean for NYCFC to see Lee switch MLS sides and take over Sporting Kansas City, and what might his departure do to the club's general approach to building a competitive squad? We also make first attempts at summing up Lee's legacy with New York City, touching on some of the big successes he enjoyed while criticizing his handling of some of the talent that passed through NYCFC's halls but didn't yield anything in the way of transfer profits. Finally things wrap up this week with a preview of New York City's trip south on I-95 to play Philadelphia Union in the regular season's penultimate game. Can a possibly injury-depleted New York City squad play spoilers and keep the Union from possibly clinching or all-but-clinching the Supporters' Shield? Listen to our jam-packed hour of powerful takes, then find more of our coverage at HudsonRiverBlue.com or on social media via Bluesky, Instagram, and Threads. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It's one podcast episode, but it's about four different New York City FC matches. That's the name of the game at this busiest of busy part of the MLS season, though the fixture congestion isn't doing anything to slow down a scorching-hot NYCFC team that's now won three straight matches and climbed way up to 4th Place in the Eastern Conference. This episode kicks off with hosts Mark Radigan and John Baney and producer Andrew Leigh reviewing the club's two most recent wins, both at Yankee Stadium and both over Eastern Conference playoff rivals, Columbus Crew and Charlotte FC. We talk about Hannes Wolf's best season ever continuing in the form of another brace, the Columbus win representing his fourth two-goal game of 2025. The at-the-death winner from Julián Fernández and the pair of assists from Agustín Ojeda against the Crew also has us marveling at how much deeper the roster feels now compared to the start of the season. The good run would continue a few days later when NYCFC beat Charlotte FC 2-0 on Kids' Day in the Bronx, a game partially won by the goalkeeper with a new long-term contract extension, Matt Freese. Our Charlotte review includes talk of Freese's penalty-kick heroics against Wilfried Zaha, the defensive domination of a potent Charlotte attack, and what the win does for New York City FC's chances of finishing even higher up the Eastern Conference and Supporters' Shield tables. After diving deep on those wins, we shift into preview mode and try to figure out what we'll see across the two matches the team will play this Wednesday and Saturday night. How will the one visit to New York City by Inter Miami this season, for a Wednesday night game in NYCFC's second-choice home venue, compare to the hugely-attended spectacle that occurred at Yankee Stadium late last season when Messi first landed in New York City? The sheer volume and frequency of matches has us wondering when the lineup rotation from Pascal Jansen will arrive – though at least one of us, Andrew, is adamant that rotation shouldn't be happening during the second and final Hudson River Derby of the regular season. The derby might just be one match, but it also could be the result that pushes the Red Bulls right to the very brink of playoff elimination, a result that might be as close as NYCFC can get to exacting real revenge for the loss to the Red Bulls in the 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs. There's so much ground covered in this episode, which you can listen to in full here, then find more coverage on Bluesky, Instagram, and Threads, and by visiting HudsonRiverBlue.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Spirits are high and confidence is high on the pod this week on the heels of New York City FC's dramatic 3-1 win on the road over the Chicago Fire. Any pessimism that lingered from the disappointing loss to DC United before the international break got washed away by those three New York City goals scored on the shores of Lake Michigan, and your hosts Mark Radigan and John Baney plus producer Andrew Leigh kick off Episode 56 by diving into the team's big win over the Fire. That includes discussing the potential for Nico Fernández Mercau and the NYCFC attack to reach new heights now that the team's new Designated Player finally bagged his first goal, scoring the equalizer at Soldier Field. It also includes analyzing the debut of new defender Raul Gustavo, and wondering how the pieces will now fit together for Pascal Jansen, given he might have some tough lineup decisions to make with the Brazilian center-back's arrival and integration. The Chicago win gave us plenty to cover, but it also leads into two more NYCFC matches set to be played this week in quick succession at Yankee Stadium. The second half of this episode is a preview of both the Columbus Crew and Charlotte FC games, with all three of the gang surprisingly optimistic about New York City's chances against the Crew at midweek – maybe in part due to the key absences of players like Diego Rossi and Sean Zawadzki, and due to the Crew's poor recent form in MLS play. We're collectively less optimistic about Charlotte FC coming to town this weekend, given they're entering on a nine-match winning streak, and given that they're something of a bogey team for NYCFC, who own an unsightly 1W-1D-5L record in head-to-head meetings with the team from North Carolina since they joined the league. Will our optimism for Columbus and pessimism for Charlotte prove accurate or misguided? Listen to the full episode for each of our predictions for this two-match week, then find more of our coverage on Bluesky, Instagram, and Threads, and by visiting HudsonRiverBlue.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The biggest game of the season – so far – approaches for New York City FC on the other side of the international break. That international break meant there's no NYCFC match for us to recap, but the important games just keep coming from now through the end of the season, beginning with the weekend trip to the Windy City. Matchday 28 will see NYCFC travel to face the team one spot and two points below them in the MLS Eastern Conference standings, Chicago Fire FC, in what's not hyperbolic to call a playoff-like match-up. Host John Baney and producer Andrew Leigh begin Episode 55 by breaking down all the qualities of Gregg Berhalter's Fire team and how red-hot they've been over their last seven matches, pulling themselves up above the playoff line and onto the heels of NYCFC in 8th Place. New York City FC heads to Soldier Field looking to wash away the disappointment of the home loss to DC United that preceded this international break, and they're now into the final stretch of seven games that all really do have a playoff feel about them, given that six of the seven teams NYCFC has left to face this season currently sit in the Eastern Conference playoff field, if the MLS Cup Playoffs began today (sorry, 10th Place Red Bulls, not sorry). Taking another step closer to the playoffs for New York City FC will mean stopping the likes of Fire attackers Philip Zinckernagel, Jonathan Bamba, and Hugo Cuypers, meaning New York City will hope Matt Freese returns feeling healthy and ready to step back into the MLS grind this weekend now that he's wrapped up his responsibilities with the United States men's national team while on international duty. Speaking of the USMNT, the second half of our episode is all about the Stars and Stripes, with Andrew recapping his trip to Sports Illustrated Stadium to cover the big friendly between the USMNT and South Korea. That was yet another loss for the United States while playing in Harrison, NJ, and yet another troubling performance during the somewhat rocky tenure of Mauricio Pochettino, USMNT Head Coach. Our USMNT conversation ranges from questioning Pochettino's approach to the South Korea game and the limited windows of games he and the team have left before the World Cup, to wondering what his performances this September will do for Matt Freese's standing on the goalkeeper depth chart. Listen to our full split NYCFC/USMNT episode below, then find more of our NYCFC/USMNT coverage on Bluesky, Instagram, and Threads, and by visiting HudsonRiverBlue.com.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

New York City FC can't break the habit of losing to the lesser teams of Major League Soccer. The pattern held true when the Eastern Conference's last-place team, DC United, came into Yankee Stadium and won, and it's a pattern that has us starting Episode 54 once again wondering how to make sense of this team that can beat some of the top teams in MLS, but one that struggles against the league's strugglers, DC United included. We get into what went so wrong for New York City in the dispiriting DC defeat, and provide some context for what the loss means for the ongoing race for a spot in the MLS Cup Playoffs. The MLS playoff race is temporarily on hold, though, as it's another international break. The crew runs through the details for all nine New York City FC players called up by their national teams, then zooms in on a pair of the team's high-profile call-ups, Matt Freese and Alonso Martínez. Freese is back with the United States men's national team after his big Concacaf Gold Cup breakout, and we discuss what we're expecting to see from the NYCFC goalkeeper and the USMNT when they face Son Heung-min and his South Korea teammates locally at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey, then travel to play Japan out at Lower.com Field in Columbus, Ohio. Martínez, meanwhile, leads Costa Rica into a pair of crucial World Cup qualifiers, and right when his name is popping up in the European transfer rumor mill. While discussing Martínez's international and club success, we wonder: Will New York City lose Alonso to a lucrative transfer back to a team in Europe, or will the Costa Rican striker stick around even if he continues to score lots of goals for NYCFC and gets Costa Rica to the World Cup? Not content to end this episode speculating over an outgoing Alonso Martínez transfer, we also discuss the thrilling and surprisingly violent conclusion to the 2025 Leagues Cup tournament. Seattle Sounders FC picked up the only trophy they were missing from their cabinet, while Inter Miami CF veterans Luis Suárez and Sergio Busquets melted down after suffering a 3-0 loss in the final: Only prestigious tournaments like Leagues Cup give us this kind of drama. We covered a potpourri of topics on this special international break episode, which you can hear in its entirety here, and when finished, find more of our coverage on Bluesky, Instagram, and Threads, and by visiting HudsonRiverBlue.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

New York City FC went to Cincinnati and beat the team that was at the top of the MLS Eastern Conference table, a statement win if there ever was one. Episode 53 starts with a review of that huge 1-0 victory for New York City at TQL Stadium, a relatively dominant 1-0 win at that. Your hosts Mark Radigan and John Baney and producer Andrew Leigh give you a rundown of all that worked well for New York City against Cincinnati, like an influential performance from midfielder Aiden O'Neill, more key saves made by Matt Freese, and another clutch match-winning goal scored by Alonso Martínez. The wins and positive results have been coming with regular frequency for New York City, as they're now winners of three straight MLS matches for the first time this season and have picked up 13 of a possible 15 points across their last five league matches – but they're still stuck in 8th Place thanks to the Eastern Conference being insanely competitive this season. We talk through the other important results and trends elsewhere among NYCFC's conference rivals while trying to get a collective feel for where we think this 2025 season is heading as New York City heats up and strings wins together late in the schedule as the MLS Cup Playoffs begin to get closer. After wrapping up talk of the Cincinnati win and the crowded and convoluted playoff picture, it's a preview of NYCFC's upcoming home match against the Eastern Conference's basement dwellers, DC United and old friend Luis Barraza. DC have zero wins across their last 12 matches played, but they also do still have Christian Benteke, and it won't be so easy for New York City to avoid falling into yet another dreaded "trap game." With DC previewed, we move on to a brief wrap-up of the MLS summer transfer window, which closed late last week. Our consensus is that NYCFC had a "meh" window, in that while Nico Fernández Mercau and Raul Gustavo seem like promising additions, there was still more work to be done to turn this year's team into a true contender. One player who happens to be a true contender to start for the United States men's national team at the 2026 FIFA World Cup: NYCFC goalkeeper Matt Freese. We conclude our episode by discussing Freese's latest call-up to the USMNT for a pair of September friendlies, part of a decidedly weird roster assembled by Mauricio Pochettino, but a roster that sure makes it seem like Freese is the current undisputed first-choice American goalkeeper. Listen to our full jam-packed 53rd episode, then find more of our coverage by following Hudson River Blue on Bluesky, Instagram, and Threads, and by reading HudsonRiverBlue.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

There was a lengthy wait between matches for New York City FC thanks to that recent Columbus Crew postponement, and playing their first MLS match of August against Nashville SC required waiting out a long weather delay in the Bronx. All that waiting still culminated in a victory for New York City FC, giving hosts Mark Radigan and John Baney and producer Andrew Leigh lots of points of discussion to kick this episode off. We first take a wider view of the win for NYCFC and discuss how significant it is for the team's season, then discuss some of the top-performing players from the second meeting with Nashville this season. That discussion includes Agustín Ojeda, whose assist gave him a goal contribution in three straight appearances in all competitions. It also includes Andrés Perea, who scored against Nashville and continues to cement his status as a vital member of Pascal Jansen's Starting XI. Once the reflections on Nashville are through, we try to set expectations for the newest New York City City FC recruit, defender Raul Gustavo. It's not been straightforward to predict Pascal Jansen's lineups, and it's now harder to predict how he'll line up his defense once Raul Gustavo secures his work visa and joins the rest of the team. We wrap up this episode with a preview of NYCFC's trip to TQL Stadium to play FC Cincinnati. It's a stadium that's not usually been kind to New York City over the years, though you likely don't worry about that given how the 2024 MLS Cup playoff match ended when the teams met, and given the sneaky-good form NYCFC is currently in. Do we think that good form extends through the Cincinnati meeting? Listen to our full episode and then find more of our coverage by following Hudson River Blue on Bluesky, Instagram, and Threads, and by reading HudsonRiverBlue.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

No new New York City FC match to discuss on this episode, but that unexpected reality gave us a lot to discuss. Hosts Mark Radigan and John Baney plus producer Andrew Leigh kick Episode 51 off with much to say about the (dead) grass situation at Citi Field and the scheduling headache it forced New York City FC into. We've got thoughts on the schedule change being confirmed at what felt like the latest possible moment, and we've got thoughts on the negative side effects of concerts being held in the Tri-State Area's soccer (and baseball) stadiums. Lamenting of a canceled match complete, we next shift to some MLS transfer talk. We cover a few new rumors popping up around NYCFC and wonder what's holding up the announcement of defender Raul Gustavo's signing with the club. There's also a bigger question posed: Did NYCFC do enough in this window, if they end it with Nico Fernández and Raul Gustavo being their big acquisitions while saying goodbye to players like Birk Risa and Mounsef Bakrar? Our transfer talk isn't limited to just NYCFC, though, as we survey the wider landscape of major moves made by MLS teams so far this summer. So we're talking Son Heung-min debuting for LAFC, the pending arrival of Thomas Müller at Vancouver Whitecaps FC, Rodrigo De Paul at Inter Miami CF, and even Matt Turner coming back to play in goal for the New England Revolution. The episode wraps up with a preview of Nashville SC's first-ever trip to Yankee Stadium, the baseball stadium with an outfield still green and healthy enough to host some soccer. While we prep for the Nashville game, we also take a wider look at the final 10-match stretch post-Leagues Cup that lays before New York City, and each give our predictions as to how we see the rest of this season playing out for NYCFC and where we think they'll finish in the Eastern Conference standings come Decision Day. We packed a lot in here for a week without an actual NYCFC match to discuss, so 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 HudsonRiverBlue.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.