A New York City FC hit hard by injuries signed defender Drew Baiera, midfielder Maximo Carrizo, and midfielder Piero Elias to Short-Term Agreements ahead of tonight's game against Atlanta United. All three are regular starters for NYCFC II in MLS NEXT Pro.
The three will help fill out a First Team roster depleted after a string of injuries. New York City had players subbed off early in each of their last four games, and while some have returned from the injury list the squad is looking thin.
But as Head Coach Nick Cushing has said, injuries bring opportunities.
These roster moves raise the tantalizing possibility that Carrizo could make his Major League Soccer debut tonight or in Saturday's game against Orlando City. The 16-year-old made headlines two years ago when he became the youngest signing in MLS history. A creative No 10, Carrizo trains with the First Team and puts in strong performances against older and more experienced players when NYCFC II advanced to the Round of 16 in the 2024 US Open Cup.
Carrizo could see minutes this week as New York City play two away games, and Cushing will look to rotate his squad. Maxi Moralez is off the injury list after leaving the July 3 game vs CF Montréal in the 22nd minute, but the 37-year-old could share minutes at the No 10 with Carrizo.
Hudson River Blue Senior Editor Andrew Leigh addressed that possibility just yesterday. In a post that looked at New York City's transfer needs, Leigh wrote that "Another No 10-type in the First Team could be needed sooner than later. As mentioned above, there's always the potential to fill that need from within with a Homegrown prospect like, say, Máximo Carrizo. But for now, this counts as an area of the roster that could benefit from a new addition."
Andrew Leigh
New York City already have the longest squad in the league, with an average age of just 22.7 according to Transfermarkt. The addition of these players could make the gameday lineup significantly younger than before.
Last week, Christian McFarlane made his first MLS start against Chicago Fire when he replaced the injured Kevin O'Toole at left-back. The 17-year-old defender is rumored to be close to signing with Manchester City, but will remain on loan to New York City through the end of the 2024 season.
Both Carrizo and Elias are signed to First Team contracts, but are joining "as off-roster Homegrown players" according to a statement issued by New York City. Elias is signed to NYCFC II.
According to MLS rules, a club may sign a player under the age of 25 from their MLS NEXT Pro affiliate in no more than four Short-Term Agreements each season, and each player may be included to no more than four rosters. Each player may appear in no more than two MLS league season matches when signed to Short-Term Agreements.
New York City made use of Short Term Agreements before. Last season, NYCFC II defender Stephen Turnbull made two appearances with the First Team under Short-Term Agreements. He went on to sign a First Team contract and made 11 appearances last year. He now plays for Rhode Island FC in the USL Championship, where he scored three goals in 19 games.
