New York City FC just wrapped up its Coachella Valley Invitational slate with a 1-0 win over Minnesota United FC. Alonso Martínez scored his third goal of the Invitational, and a slightly makeshift New York City backline kept a clean sheet to close out the 2025 preseason.
Here are 5 Thoughts coming out of the team's preseason-closing victory.
1. Replacing Santi.
The biggest story in the world of New York City FC right now is Santiago Rodríguez's reported $17 million transfer to Botafogo of Brazil's Série A. Multiple credible reports indicate it's a done deal and his departure from NYCFC is imminent, though still not officially announced. Unsurprisingly, he was not playing in this preseason finale against Minnesota United FC.
With Santi in the final stages of his expensive breakup with NYCFC, this Coachella closer was the last chance before the regular season to see how Pascal Jansen might approach life without the attacking midfielder and winger who had 16 goals and six assists in 40 appearances in all competitions in 2024.
Hudson River Blue Staff
Against Minnesota, Jansen had Hannes Wolf moved out to the left side of the team's attack while Mounsef Bakrar, usually deployed as a striker across his NYCFC career to date, played the first half as a right-winger. Wolf and Bakrar swapped sides to start the second half before making way for substitutes Julián Fernández and Agustín Ojeda in the 57th minute, none of the four players able to make much happen against Minnesota.
Alonso Martínez held onto his usual spot as the team's lone striker but didn't get many chances in this final Coachella fixture. That is, until he broke the deadlock by banging home another preseason goal in the 77th minute, his third during the Coachella Valley Invitational.
With Santi gone, they'll need more goals like this one and that beauty he scored against San Diego last weekend and they might need him to put up an even better goalscoring season in 2025 than the elite 17-goal campaign he had in 2024.
Mortal de cara al gol 🇨🇷 pic.twitter.com/j1CmLKECRJ
— New York City FC (@newyorkcityfc) February 15, 2025
2. Defensive question marks.
Tavyon Gray limped out of this game injured in the 28th minute, struggling with what appeared to be a leg injury of an undetermined nature. He might be joining a decent-sized list of defenders already trying to overcome injuries as we approach Matchday 1 of the 2025 season.
Thiago Martins, the club's captain and Designated Player center-back, played zero minutes this preseason and has been seemingly out of team training since the earliest days of camp in Santa Barbara, California. Kevin O'Toole didn't feature in any of the final three Coachella matches against San Diego FC, St. Louis City SC, or Minnesota United FC.
Birk Risa has seemed back to his best so far during preseason, healthy, effective, even scoring that pinpoint free-kick goal against St. Louis. He partnered in defense with Strahinja Tanasijević against Minnesota, which at the moment seems like NYCFC's best available center-back tandem. How will they hold up starting the season on the road against Miami and LAFC?
The bigger questions might be at fullback. There's a new injury to Gray and a lingering concern seeming to keep O'Toole sidelined. Nicholas Cavallo, one of the team's Third Round selections in the recent MLS SuperDraft, started at left-back for a second time during these Coachella games. He didn't look out of place, seeming like a good instinctive fullback who knows where to be and reads the game well. Cavallo is also straight from college and not who you would expect to be starting as part of the New York City backline when they travel to face Lionel Messi and Inter Miami.
The reality, though, is that Christian McFarlane is sold off to Manchester City FC and Gray might be injured, so the team really might need to thrust the 88th pick in the SuperDraft into its Starting XI at left-back.
3. At least they've got Freese.
A commanding performance from Matt Freese against Minnesota to close out a slightly odd preseason for him. He was briefly mentioned in the transfer rumor mill right around when he got his first senior United States men's national team call-up for January camp. Despite the camp call-up, new USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino didn't give Freese any minutes of game time in the country's January friendlies.
That didn't seem to throw Freese off at all, at least based on his performances for NYCFC this preseason. He made a top-tier save in the 34th minute, getting a hand on a ripped shot ticketed for goal by Minnesota's Tani Oluwaseyi. Freese was commanding in and around the box multiple times during the first half against the Loons, not shying away from challenges far off his line to either clear or retain possession for NYCFC. With the NYCFC backline looking a bit unsettled and one of the team's elite attackers leaving imminently, Freese might need to replicate some of his elite 2024 performances to keep NYCFC in games early in the season.
4. Midfield looking stronger.
Another major question lingering for NYCFC: How to replace James Sands in the midfield. Jonathan Shore started with Keaton Parks and Justin Haak in the midfield against Minnesota and the 17-year-old more than held his own.
He had a few of NYCFC's better looks in front of goal through the first 50 minutes against Minnesota, having a point-blank shot blocked in the first half. Early in the second half, Shore dribbled close to goal and got off a clean left-footed shot, though one that went well wide of Dayne St. Clair's goal. He scored eight goals in 24 appearances for NYCFC II last season, so could be a danger in the box if he really does get a breakthrough with the First Team in 2025.
Andrés Perea, another potential next-man-up option in that midfield, hadn't played any minutes in the previous three Coachella matches – but he entered as a substitute in the second half against Minnesota and looked like his box-crashing, dangerous self. If he's working his way back from an injury, it's a great sign that he was ready for some minutes to close out preseason, because all hands will need to be on deck with Sands (and Santi) leaving.
5. Finally, real games next.
If you're reading this it means the preseason is officially over, all six preparatory friendlies are complete and the next time you see New York City FC in action it will be on the road against 2024 Supporters' Shield winners Inter Miami CF in the very first match of the 2025 Major League Soccer season.
New York City looks like a work in progress as the preseason comes to an end, underscored by the let's call it unique Starting XI deployed by Pascal Jansen in this final game. It's hard to consider a team settled when they are on the verge of selling a 16-goal Designated Player attacker right as the season is set to kick off.
While there are questions aplenty around New York City FC as the season approaches on February 22, at least the preseason is officially now over.
