New York City FC just shared its full preseason roster ahead of the team's flight from frigid New York to warm and sunny Santa Barbara, California to ramp up preparations for the 2025 season.
The team is bringing 34 players west for preseason training, a list that includes three of the team's five recent MLS SuperDraft selections, one player on trial, two players straight from the NYCFC Academy, and all of the very young Homegrown signings that have yet to break through with the New York City First Team.
Notably missing from the list of players traveling to California is Christian McFarlane, whose omission was handled rather transparently by the usually tight-lipped NYCFC press folks.
The release announcing the roster says McFarlane isn't included while "the club is negotiating a potential transfer for the player" – numerous reports, for numerous months, have indicated that McFarlane will soon transfer to Manchester City.
Hudson River Blue Staff
Also missing is Jovan Mijatović, whose recent dramas we have covered frequently in these pages. NYCFC officially says that he's "currently in Europe completing a training stint," but that fails to mention the fact that he's dealing with the aftermath of a horrific crash with a pedestrian in Serbia, as well as the fact that he's been outspoken with the European press about his desire to leave NYCFC for a club in Europe.
Oliver Strand
Two of the five players NYCFC selected in the recent MLS SuperDraft are also not included on the traveling preseason roster. Forwards AJ Smith (Third Round, 78th overall pick) and Arnau Farnos (Third Round, 84th overall pick) are not traveling with the team, throwing into question if they'll ever sign with NYCFC or even NYCFC II in MLS NEXT Pro.
Three other SuperDraftees – defender Max Murray, midfielder Collin McCamy, and defender Nico Cavallo – are all with the team for preseason and at least stand a chance of earning a contract.
The youth prospects of NYCFC are also very present this preseason, with the team's recent Homegrown signees – Alex Rando, Prince Amponsah, Drew Baiera, Jacob Arroyave, Máximo Carrizo, Jonny Shore, and Zidane Yañez – all on the traveling roster. Peter Molinari, the 15-year-old midfielder signed to NYCFC II on a contract that's described as including a "path to a Homegrown deal with the First Team," will also be a part of preseason prep.
Molinari is joined by two players yet to graduate from the NYCFC Academy – 16-year-old goalkeeper Anthony Suarez, plus 16-year-old striker Seymour Reid. There's also a sixth goalkeeper in camp, as Mac Learned, who just finished his college career with Sacramento State, is with NYCFC as a triallist this preseason.
All these players will be trying to impress new Head Coach Pascal Jansen, though it's still unclear when exactly Jansen will join up with the team. When he was confirmed as the new man in charge, the team said he would "join the club pending the approval of a U.S. work permit." No sign of Jansen has emerged from the earliest days of preseason training, at least in what NYCFC has shared publicly on its social media channels.
Below you can read the full press release from NYCFC announcing the preseason roster.
NEW YORK – January 15, 2025 – New York City FC today announce the preseason roster ahead of the 2025 MLS season.
The ‘Boys in Blue’ travel to Santa Barbara, California to kick off the first leg of preseason.
Thirty-four players make up this season’s preseason roster in California. Two academy players, one New York City FC II player and one trialist will join the first team this year. MLS SuperDraft selections Max Murray, Collin McCamy and Nicholas Cavallo will travel with the team.
Goalkeeper Matt Freese, currently with the U.S. Men’s National Team, will join the ‘Boys in Blue’ after the conclusion of its January camp. Defender Christian McFarlane will not be traveling with the team as the club is negotiating a potential transfer for the player. Forward Jovan Mijatović is currently in Europe completing a training stint.
New York City FC open their preseason slate against Real Salt Lake on Friday, January 24.
The full travel roster is listed below:
Goalkeepers (6): Matt Freese, Mac Learned#, Alex Rando, Greg Ranjitsingh, Tomás Romero, Anthony Suarez^
Defenders (10): Prince Amponsah, Drew Baiera, Nicholas Cavallo*, Tayvon Gray, Mitja Ilenič, Thiago Martins, Max Murray*, Kevin O’Toole, Birk Risa, Strahinja Tanasijević
Midfielders (11): Jacob Arroyave, Máximo Carrizo, Justin Haak, Collin McCamy*, Peter Molinari^, Maxi Moralez, Keaton Parks, Andrés Perea, Santiago Rodríguez, Jonny Shore, Hannes Wolf
Forwards (7): Mounsef Bakrar, Julián Fernández, Malachi Jones, Alonso Martínez, Agustín Ojeda, Seymour Reid^, Zidane Yañez
Andrew Leigh
