On a warm Saturday afternoon, my cousins and I made our way to Yankee Stadium to enjoy a match-up between New York City FC and Orlando City. Little did we know a player we came to watch for the first time live, would end up playing the last match of his rookie season that very same night.
Malachi Jones appeared on my radar very late compared to other New York City fanatics. I glanced over his maiden MLS goal against Toronto and knew he had promise, but how much?
Goal No. 1 for Malachi Jones! ☝️
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) May 12, 2024
New York City leads 2-0 on the road. pic.twitter.com/eVkDAUAP7r
It's always a pleasure to see new young talent start to prosper at the club, but I was still wary if he would be able to fill the 6' 1" Joga Bonito-sized hole on the left wing with the forever beaching of Talles Magno.
From the 23 minutes he was on the pitch, Jones took all the uncertainties I had and pushed them aside. He not only displayed his quick thinking and creativity in the attacking half – something I missed watching with the absence of Talles Magno – but was willing to play both sides of the ball with the same vigor, unlike his Brazilian predecessor.
His relentless defensive work rate in both halves caused an interception leading up to a beauty of a goal scored by Santiago Rodríguez for an early lead. It was a great display of Jones's speed, and it was a quickness that was not just with his feet, but with his mind as a footballer.
ABSOLUTE SCREAMER FROM OUR 🔟 pic.twitter.com/gclgyrx4Oy
— New York City FC (@newyorkcityfc) June 28, 2024
For a 20-year-old to be able to play a quick ball to his right with no hesitation, and take a full-back away with him running from the ball, showed his understanding of former head coach Nick Cushing's system, and also a team-first selflessness.
While I understand football is a game with eleven players, and demands selflessness upon stepping on the pitch, the more ways a member of the squad can manipulate a ball at their feet leads to more reasons for why it should stay at their feet. But for Jones, this does not seem to be the issue.
What does seem to be an issue, though, is his composure and experience. The Sierra Leone native isn't yet clinical in front of the net — although he had 2.2 xG in 14 appearances, he missed six big chances, and posted just a 6% goal conversion rate this past season.
Overall, I will attribute this statistic to his inexperience and the instability had at times due to changes in the attacking half of Cushing's side throughout the beginning of last season. Considering Jones played on average just 35 minutes a match, he has time to hone his scoring abilities.
At the same time, having one goal and three assists in only your first 481 minutes of Major League Soccer is impressive, especially considering less than a year earlier Jones was only a sophomore on the Lipscomb University men's soccer team.
This is less of an issue of player development than player comfort. He has shown he has the attributes and skills to be a quality player for New York City, with four starts earned from barely half a season of play.
Two questions regarding Jones going into 2025 though:
How will he be able to recover, but progress, after a season-ending broken tibia and fibula injury?
And will NYCFC and its incoming manager be able to provide Jones with a system and team philosophy where he and other young players can develop and grow into their own?
The answer to both questions will determine whether Jones reaches his A-level potential, whether it is in the Big Apple or abroad.
