NYCFC looking to morph back into championship form after stalwarts’ exodus

More than a year after winning the MLS Cup in December 2021, New York City FC is facing more questions about its roster than the club has had since perhaps its first year of existence, 2015.

NYCFC will start its season Saturday afternoon at Nashville SC with a group that is missing a series of stalwarts from its championship-winning squad. Striker Valentin Castellanos, fullback Anton Tinnerholm, centerback Alex Callens, midfielder Maxi Moralez and goalkeeper Sean Johnson are all gone, and none will be easy to replace.

Castellanos was NYCFC’s leading scorer last season. Callens, who went to play with Girona in the Spanish La Liga, was perhaps the best defensive player in MLS. Johnson, who went to Toronto FC, is a regular call-up for the national team. Moralez had been with NYCFC since 2017 and made its midfield tick.

Replacing those players amounts to a mammoth task for second-year coach Nick Cushing, who replaced Ronny Delia in an interim role last June after Delia left New York for the same job at Standard Liege in Belgium. After stumbling through the summer last season, Cushing got NYCFC as far as the Eastern Conference finals, but they lost 3-1 to Philadelphia Union.

How Cushing copes with losing so much talent will likely be the defining task of his tenure.

NYCFC is still among the preseason betting favorites to win the MLS Cup, and with two transfer windows to work with and the financial might of City Football Group (owners of Premier League powerhouse Manchester City) behind it, it is more than feasible sporting director David Lee will look to add talent. As of  now, though, it is on Cushing to get the most from his roster.

That starts with Santi Rodriguez, who is returning to New York after a loan spell in Uruguay with big shoes to fill as an attacking midfielder. Mitja Ilenic, an 18-year-old right back signed from Domzale, a Slovenian club, is considered a strong prospect and will likely need to contribute immediately. Ditto for Gabriel Segal, a native of Bethesda, Md., who comes from the reserve squad at Germany’s FC Koln as a forward.

The two youngsters represent nearly half of NYCFC’s new signings, which uncharacteristically don’t include any big names. The other three, defenders Tony Alfaro and Braian Cufre, along with goalkeeper Matt Freese, look more like depth than stars, though Freese will compete with Luis Barraza to replace Johnson.

The biggest question mark on the roster, though, is at striker. It  looks like Talles Magno could get the chance at the start of the season, though the 20-year-old Brazilian scored just seven times in 34 appearances last season.

If that doesn’t end up working out, then Segal could be next up at the position. It is possible, though, that NYCFC will look to the transfer market to upgrade there, especially if it becomes clear that an experienced striker is the biggest thing standing between the team and championship contention.

This season, though, will be relatively uncharted territory for NYCFC, which has made the playoffs every year since its second season in MLS, 2016.

NYCFC is not likely to miss the playoffs in 2023, but it is within the range of potential outcomes. So, too, is a return to glory.