The Soccer Journal Podcast

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  • Updated weekly

The Soccer Journal Podcast covers all things soccer in New York, with an emphasis on New York City FC and MLS. We are the flagship podcast of the New York Soccer Journal, and we're here to inform you and to keep it fun.

  1. 4 days ago

    A frustrating NYCFC draw, a new MLS commissioner, and another dose of Leagues Cup

    New York City FC remains unbeaten since the World Cup break ended, but this episode starts with hosts Mark Radigan and John Baney and producer Andrew Leigh breaking down a disappointing 1-1 stalemate with Toronto FC in the Bronx. From the bright start that featured a dime dropped by new signing Bénie Traoré setting up the penalty for NYCFC's goal, to the rest of the performance, which was an uninspired one from the home team that also featured a costly error before halftime that let Toronto back into it. Also of note: Nico Fernández Mercau, who scored in his fourth consecutive MLS match and is now tied for the MLS Golden Boot lead, but who also appeared frustrated while being substituted off late in the Toronto game, with Pascal Jansen saying he asked for a sub, and with new comments from NYCFC sporting director Todd Dunivant (relayed by Andrew) doing nothing to dispel the rumors that Nico is the subject of an ongoing transfer saga that could end with him leaving the team. Then the show runs through some news, first of the sad injury variety: Arnau Farnós, 2025 MLS SuperDraft pick turned first-team signing this spring, is out for the long-term after suffering a serious non-contact leg injury during training last week, with Pascal Jansen describing it as "quite severe" and one that featured "fractures," plural. The injury bug just does not stop biting. There's also a new MLS commissioner in town, with news breaking that LAFC co-owner Larry Berg will take over for Don Garber in 2027. What will Berg need to accomplish now that he's in charge of MLS? John makes a compelling case for Berg's mandate being "convince owners to spend more money on players," while there's also the matter of trying to get MLS a lucrative new broadcast deal once their pact with Apple expires. The United States men's national team is back in the news, too, because Mauricio Pochettino is back in the saddle as the USMNT coach, signed to a new contract through the 2030 World Cup. Your hosts are not convinced Pochettino will stick with the team all the way through 2030, and they're also not convinced it's a wise idea for the USMNT to try to get a second World Cup cycle out of a coach, given how poorly that approach has gone in the past. The final portion of this episode is all about everyone's favorite mid-summer tournament: Leagues Cup. There's a refresher on the format, which is the same as it was in 2025, and which leaves teams with zero margin for error if they want to be one of the eight squads (four from MLS, four from LigaMX) to advance to the knockout rounds. Then it's time to drill down on NYCFC's first two opponents from Mexico, Santos Laguna and Cruz Azul, and to share expectations for how NYCFC and Pascal Jansen approach these games. Is it going to be a repeat of last season, when a cellar-dwelling Club Puebla side ended New York City's Leagues Cup chances before they could even form? Or will a newcomer like Luighi, officially in the fold now and available for Leagues Cup, make a difference and help spark NYCFC to a true Leagues Cup run? Listen to the full episode, then find more of our coverage at nysoccerjournal.com, or on Bluesky @nysoccerjournal.com, Twitter @nysoccerjournal and @NYSJPodcast, and on Instagram @newyorksoccerjournal. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  2. 31 Jul

    The Blueprint: Capturing World Cup momentum in America

    In this episode of The Blueprint, hosts John Baney and Trey Fillmore tackle the big-picture question everyone asks after a World Cup: What happens to American soccer now? It’s all about figuring out what a post-World Cup soccer landscape should look like, and how well-prepared the United States soccer ecosystem is to capitalize on widespread cases of World Cup fever. From the impact of the tournament itself, to the pay-to-play youth system that’s intertwined with American soccer's development and future, to Major League Soccer's role in all of this, John and Trey break down where the US Soccer Federation, American soccer culture, and the overall sport in this country go from here. They start by sizing up the World Cup audience in 2026 when compared to the previous tournament in Qatar, with viewership skyrocketing from the group stage through to the final. The World Cup created a palpable moment, but what does capitalizing on that actually look like, and who in American soccer stands to benefit most from that moment? There's also the concern that things like pay-to-play in youth soccer will hinder the United States' ability to capitalize, which John and Trey dig into, mapping out the layers of American youth soccer, from rec leagues to travel clubs to the MLS Next academy system, while discussing the cost burden at each level. Then there's Major League Soccer, facing its own post-World Cup reckonings as the league considers changing its financial rules — scrapping TAM and GAM, loosening the salary cap, and adding roster flexibility — and eyes a lucrative new broadcast rights deal, one far more lucrative than the league's current agreement with Apple. How confident are John and Trey that American soccer and the country’s soccer culture at large can seize this moment? They each give you a confidence rating to close out the episode. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    The Blueprint: Capturing World Cup momentum in America

  3. 28 Jul

    NYCFC's perfect return from World Cup break, what to make of Luighi

    No easing back into it, New York City FC is back and is already two matches and two wins into the post-World Cup portion of the Major League Soccer season. Hosts Mark Radigan and John Baney and producer Andrew Leigh get straight back into the NYCFC results, with plenty of takeaways to be shared from the 2-1 win in Columbus and the 3-1 home win over the Chicago Fire at Yankee Stadium. There's Talles Magno, back healthy and reinventing himself once more as a center-forward, and what that means for newly-arrived Designated Player Bénie Traoré. The debut was underwhelming for Traoré in Columbus, but the show tries to put that debut in context, while also focusing on Traoré’s slightly more promising second appearance against the Fire. The unsung, or maybe under-sung, heroes coming out of the World Cup get their praise, including Agustín Ojeda, in the midst of a breakout season. There’s also James Sands slotting seamlessly back into the center of the defense, and there’s still Nico Fernández Mercau, who now plays as a No 10 but is still capable of outrageous, camera-destroying golazos. For the transfer portion of the program, it’s sharing the latest on NYCFC's possible loan signing of Luighi from SE Palmeiras in Brazil. There' also a report, unanimously doubted by the show that claims Nico Fernández Mercau wants to leave the club, following a separate report claiming there’s a team interested in signing him for a $18 million transfer fee. From roster talk to a New York City FC match preview, and this time it's the club's red rivals from north of the Canadian border, Toronto FC. Josh Sargent hasn’t lived up to the $22 million price tag, and TFC is winless across the last 12 matches in all competitions, and winless across six straight meetings with NYCFC. Form and recent history might be on NYCFC’s side, but how does the show see NYCFC vs Toronto FC playing out? Listen to the full episode, then find more of our coverage at nysoccerjournal.com, or on Bluesky @nysoccerjournal.com, Twitter @nysoccerjournal and @NYSJPodcast, and on Instagram @newyorksoccerjournal. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  4. 21 Jul

    Spain wins it all, NYCFC resumes MLS season amid transfer rumor frenzy

    The World Cup ended in New Jersey, and co-host Mark Radigan was there to see it with his own eyes, which is what kicks off this episode, a discussion with his co-host John Baney and producer Andrew Leigh about that 2026 final won by Spain. You hear about the three-and-a-half-hour process to enter NY/NJ Stadium one last time, the pro-Argentina crowd inside that stadium, and the experience of watching Spain dominate en route to a second World Cup triumph. After a World Cup farewell, it's on to more local topics, like the revelation that Etihad Park will host its first New York City FC match on July 17, 2027. One of the stadium's eventual co-tenants, Gotham FC of the NWSL, had a very busy week spent playing twice in New York City. Most significantly, the largest crowd ever to watch women's sports in New York City, 42,175 fans, turned out to see Gotham beat the Washington Spirit at Citi Field, so the show reflects on that landmark night and focuses on the difference it could make for adding to the Gotham fanbase and following. From there, it's into a big block of NYCFC roster and transfer talk. There are confirmed moves made, like contract extensions for two players plus a trade, but there are also lots and lots of rumored moves, whether it's important players possibly leaving the current NYCFC squad, or other names, big and less-big, linked with possibly joining that squad. Mark, John, and Andrew touch on them all and find the logic, or illogic, in each rumor. There are also some injury updates thrown in there for good measure, with some clearer understanding of Kai Trewin and Aiden O'Neill's absences after the World Cup, and how soon we might see previously-injured players like Kevin O'Toole. All helpful information to have since this episode ends with our predictions for the first two competitive matches NYCFC will play since May 23 in Nashville. Listen to this jumbo-sized episode of The Soccer Journal Podcast, then find more of our coverage at nysoccerjournal.com, or on Bluesky @nysoccerjournal.com, Twitter @nysoccerjournal and @NYSJPodcast, and on Instagram @newyorksoccerjournal. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  5. 14 Jul

    The World Cup's final act, NYCFC's optimal post-World Cup lineup

    The MLS transfer window is open, New York City FC’s first big signing, Bénie Traoré, is now in training with his new teammates, and the New York City FC roster looks deeper than it did before MLS paused for the World Cup. This episode of The Soccer Journal Podcast starts with our evaluation of that revamped roster, with a player like James Sands back from loan and with a player like Alonso Martínez working his way back to fitness following a long injury absence. How will the starting lineup look now for Pascal Jansen with Traoré and Sands newly in the mix, and with that possible return from Martínez coming later this summer? Maybe more curiously, how many more moves might get made given the transfer window in MLS stays open until early September? We do some Starting XI arranging and consider some positions of remaining need heading into the heart of the summer and transfer season. From there, talk turns to Matt Freese's selection to the 2026 MLS All-Star Game, an honor that arrives right as he’s taking lots of heat online for his role in the United States men’s national team’s loss to Belgium in the World Cup Round of 16. There’s still plenty positive to be said about Freese and his place among the league's best goalkeepers, but we also unpack how the coach’s selections actually got made for this year’s All-Star Game, including comments made by this year’s MLS All-Star coach, Dean Smith of Charlotte FC, that seem to put the focus more on World Cup participation than on stats. The final portion of this episode is our farewell of sorts to the World Cup, including a reflection on some of our favorite big storylines to emerge from the tournament, like Erling Haaland's travels across America and Scotland fans briefly taking over the city of Boston. There are thoughts shared about the possibility of another France-Argentina final and a replay of the 2022 decider, and we discuss some of our personal dream and nightmare scenarios for the very last game of the tournament before it gets played over in New Jersey. Listen to the full episode, then find more of our coverage at nysoccerjournal.com, or on Bluesky @nysoccerjournal.com, Twitter @nysoccerjournal and @NYSJPodcast, and on Instagram @newyorksoccerjournal. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  6. 10 Jul

    The Blueprint: FIFA's Article 27

    This week on The Blueprint, hosts John Baney and Trey Fillmore step away from the raw wound of the USMNT's Round of 16 loss to Belgium and dig into the story that overshadowed it: Folarin Balogun's red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina and the bizarre chain of events that saw his automatic suspension lifted just hours before kickoff against Belgium. John and Trey walk through Article 27 of FIFA's disciplinary code, and the "suspended sentence" clause that put Balogun on probation instead of suspension, allowing him to play against Belgium. There are scattered precedents to the Balogun ordeal, with cases involving Cristiano Ronaldo, Nicolás Otamendi, Moisés Caicedo, and, further back, Brazil legend Garrincha’s controversial reinstatement at the 1962 World Cup all mentioned. They also break down the VAR protocol dispute at the heart of the original red card shown to Balogun, examining whether officials were even allowed to use slow-motion to review what wasn't actually a tackle attempt. From there, the conversation turns to the messier part of this story: The political campaign waged by the United States government to get FIFA to unsuspend Balogun. That means discussing Donald Trump’s phone call to FIFA president Gianni Infantino and wondering how much, if at all, outside pressure from the US president influenced FIFA's judicial process. The strongly-worded statements from Belgium's soccer federation and UEFA condemning the decision as a breach of competitive integrity indicate there was plenty of ill will being sent towards the United States, but did the surrounding circus really affect the USMNT's performance on the field in the lopsided Round of 16 loss? This episode closes by looking at what precedent this all sets for the rest of the tournament, and what changes, if any, FIFA might make to its red card appeals and to its disciplinary process before the next World Cup. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    The Blueprint: FIFA's Article 27

  7. 8 Jul

    USMNT's World Cup goes down in flames, Gotham heads to Queens

    One of the toughest episodes of The Soccer Journal Podcast to record, with hosts Mark Radigan and John Baney and producer Andrew Leigh still left reeling from the United States men's national team's 4-1 collapse against Belgium in Seattle in the World Cup's Round of 16, a result that ended what had otherwise been among the best World Cup performances in modern US men's history. We break down how a team that had ticked off multiple historic boxes at this World Cup unraveled in the biggest game of their tournament. That means lots said about the costly individual errors made by players like Tim Ream, Sergiño Dest, and, most painfully, New York City FC's own Matt Freese. The American keeper's blunder will unfairly define what was an otherwise strong tournament for him, and we're forced to wonder over his future with the USMNT, and how he can put this moment behind him once he's back between the pipes for NYCFC. From there it's on to Australia's own World Cup exit, and a more positive look back at NYCFC duo Aiden O'Neill and Kai Trewin, with O'Neill in particular turning in one of the tournament's most underrated midfield performances — enough to reportedly draw transfer interest in the NYCFC midfielder from the EFL Championship and beyond. Finally, some genuinely good news: Gotham FC's planned move to Queens is official, with the NWSL club set to share Etihad Park with NYCFC beginning in 2028. We chat about the new team coming to the block and how the brand-new Queens soccer stadium might help Gotham once they make the final trip across the Hudson River. This episode closes with another bit of New York City FC transfer chatter, as the rumor mill continues to put in work this summer, with Fabrizio Romano linking New York City FC to prolific Racing Santander winger Andrés Martín. Will Martín add to the summer signing buzz already surrounding the team with the arrival of new Designated Player Bénie Traoré? Listen to the full episode and then find more of our coverage at nysoccerjournal.com, or on Twitter @nysoccerjournal and @NYSJPodcast, on Bluesky @nysoccerjournal.com, and on Instagram @newyorksoccerjournal.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  8. 3 Jul

    The Blueprint: Hydration breaks and the history of World Cup rule changes

    The FIFA World Cup has seen many changes over its 23 editions, but in 2026, the most controversial new wrinkle is the mandatory three-minute hydration breaks implemented for all 104 matches, no matter if they're played inside an air-conditioned dome or out in 90-degree New Jersey swamp heat. This episode of The Blueprint looks closely at the pausa de hidratación, which hosts John Baney and Trey Fillmore find has less to do with player safety and everything to do with advertising revenue. They dig into the broadcast economics behind the breaks, including how much Fox and other World Cup rights-holders stand to make from ad spots aired during the stoppages, and why some of the official broadcasters, like Telemundo, aren't cutting away to full-on commercial breaks during these controversial cooling breaks. Then there's the strategic and tactical side of the three-minute pauses in each half. Coaches are viewing the hydration breaks as chances to regroup their teams and shift momentum mid-match, with data backing up that the hydration breaks have correlated with in-game performance shifts, somehow turning a sport that's supposed to feature two 45-minute halves into one that now features four quarters of action. The addition of hydration breaks is one big tweak present at this World Cup, but how does it compare to similarly seismic changes made throughout soccer and the World Cup's history? Let's not forget, this is also the first-ever 48-team World Cup, and that expansion is hugely significant on its own. To understand how the tweaks to the 2026 tournament compare historically, John and Trey go back through the many stages of evolution of the World Cup. That means discussing the decades of shifting group-stage structures and the shifting number of teams to participate in each tournament over the years, plus rule changes like the introduction of penalty kicks, the back-pass rule, awarding three points for a win, and so on. Framed against that history, Jon and Trey weigh in on whether the jump to 48 teams is a reasonable evolution of the game or yet another commercially-driven shift, touching on hosting infrastructure concerns and worries about diluting the competition by expanding the field. The conversation tries to pin down what impact all these changes and evolutions of the World Cup have had on the sport of soccer, and looks ahead to what other alterations might be waiting in the years to come. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    The Blueprint: Hydration breaks and the history of World Cup rule changes
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The Soccer Journal Podcast covers all things soccer in New York, with an emphasis on New York City FC and MLS. We are the flagship podcast of the New York Soccer Journal, and we're here to inform you and to keep it fun.

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