25 Predictions for 2025

While a cold front extended its icy grip across much the United States, the contributors here at Hudson River Blue huddled around the size 2 crystal ball we keep in a velvet-lined mahogany case to see what lies ahead in the year before us.

Some of the visions were foggy, little more than ghostly emotions. Others were as crisp as an image broadcast in ATSC 3.0. Read on to see how the spirits guided us, and what we predict will happen in 2025.

New York City FC will break their five-year opening day losing streak and draw Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami on February 22, staying undefeated against Miami with the GOAT and friends. –Noah Kassell-Yung
The Jansen honeymoon will last until the end of February, when the #PascalOut mob will start sharpening their pitchforks. –Oliver Strand
Matt Freese will win MLS Goalkeeper of the Year and be lights out yet again in goal after finally earning his first United States men’s national team call-up. –Matthew Mangam.
The Lamar Hunt US Open Cup will come to Randall’s Island when NYCFC II returns to the tournament and hosts a match at Icahn Stadium. –Andrew Leigh
In fact, Icahn Stadium on Randall's Island will become a cherished venue for reserve-team soccer, raising the possibility of higher-profile lower league matches being played there thanks to the island already being a hotbed of the amateur game. –James Nalton
With a full season as the starting striker, Alonso Martínez will bag at least 20 goals, including another hat trick. Expect to see him at the MLS All-Star game along with Matt Freese. –MM
Tayvon Gray will attract European interest ahead of the MLS All-Star Break this summer, by way of the Dutch Eredivisie or the English Championship. –Mark Radigan
It will be Justin Haak’s last season at NYCFC. Haak’s contract is up at the end of 2025, and despite having the option to extend it to 2026, the 23-year-old will move to another MLS team and become an instant starter. Until then, Haak will continue to be the Swiss army knife for NYCFC, slotting in at center-back when called upon. –MM
Johnny Shore and Andrew Baiera will get their first team debuts in a 5-0 win over Gregg Berhalter’s Chicago Fire at Yankee Stadium on May 25th. The pair of academy starlets will replace Santiago Rodríguez and Tayvon Gray in the 85th minute to thundering applause and excitement from the New York City faithful. –NKY
NYCFC will lean more into the City of New York City than into the City of City Football Group, featuring more NYC-based references as seen in Jansen's intro videos. –JN
Hannes Wolf will become one of the best attackers in the league. The Austrian’s 26th birthday is coming up on April 16, and he knows that now is the time to prove himself if he’s to return to a top-flight European club. –OS
Jansen will lead NYCFC to a top-five finish in the Eastern Conference and the club will reach the Eastern Conference semifinals of the playoffs for the second straight season. Expect a nice win at Citi Field against the Red Bulls and a draw at Sports Illustrated Stadium. –MM
Nobody will call it Sports Illustrated Stadium. Just as diehard locals still call it Shea Stadium, not Citi Field, it will always be Red Bull Arena. –OS
New York City FC II will continue the trend of seeing a player have a standout season before said player joins a USL Championship team in the offseason, joining MD Myers (2023) and Jonathan Jiménez (2024). –Michael Battista
Maxi Moralez will hang the boots up after the 2025 season before joining Mehdi Ballouchy as the second former player on the coaching staff. The club will announce that his statue will be unveiled in conjunction with the stadium opening in 2027. –NKY
Agustín Ojeda breaks out and plays his way into being Jansen’s written-in-ink starter on the left side of the attack. –AL
The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup will be a flop in the group stage when the cameras will work very, very hard not to show the tens of thousands of empty seats when FC Porto play Al Ahly at the 86,000-seat MetLife Stadium on a Monday night in June. –OS
But the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup will redeem itself in the knockout matches, and the final between a Manchester City desperate to salvage the season and a Real Madrid looking to add a new shelf to their trophy case will be a barn-burner of a game that will grab the planet’s attention — and guarantee that the tournament will return. –OS
Santi Rodríguez will be in the 2025 MLS MVP conversation at the end of the season. After 2024 saw the Uruguayan finish with 12 goals and 10 assists in the league, Rodríguez will take another step forward, return to his preferred No 10 role and manage 18 goals and 17 assists as New York City FC secure a Top 4 spot in the East. –MR
Citi Field will be available to host the Decision Day match vs Seattle Sounders, making this the first season since 2019 that New York City won’t play a “home” game at ~~Sports Illustrated Stadium~~ Red Bull Arena. –OS
While the National Premier Soccer League is struggling overall and the future of the league is uncertain, locals FC Motown will follow up reaching the 2024 NPSL national final by winning their conference for a seventh-straight season. New Jersey United AC, with former NYCFC player RJ Allen as an assistant coach, will make the playoffs for a second season as well. –MB
Westchester SC will struggle in its first USL League One season over in Mount Vernon, but will have an above-.500 showing in the 2025 USL Jägermeister Cup. –MB
Neither New York team compete in the 2025 US Open Cup because both, by virtue of making the 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs, will participate in the 2025 Leagues Cup. –MB
NYCFC will begin to look into signing a big(ger)-name DP on a two-to-three year contract as it looks to both raise its profile and achieve success ahead of moving into Etihad Park. –JN
NYCFC will welcome back another club “legend” in April as Andrea Pirlo becomes Toronto’s head coach in a shock appointment. –Raf Noboa y Rivera