New York City FC 2022 Season Preview

Tom Bogert

2022 Schedule

Strength: They were the best in the league at creating chances via possession, via pressing and via set pieces. There’s a reason they won MLS Cup!
Weakness: Only one guy (Taty Castellanos) consistently finished those chances, and he’s now likely to be sold this summer.

James Sands: James Sands joined Scottish side Rangers on an 18-month loan with a purchase option, completing the cycle for the club’s first-ever homegrown signing. Sands made 65 appearances for NYCFC and developed into a no-doubt-about-it MLS starter, a key player of their MLS Cup-winning team who made his USMNT debut. He's a great development success story.
Jesus Medina: Jesus Medina leaves NYCFC a champion, signing with Russia’s CSKA Moscow as a free agent after his contract option was declined this offseason. It was a rollercoaster four years for Medina in MLS. The Paraguayan DP attacker was an immediate success during his first year, but took a step back the last couple of seasons, before being key to their MLS Cup-winning group in 2021.
Ismael Tajouri-Shradi: Another winger leaving NYCFC, Ismael Tajouri-Shradi was selected in the Expansion Draft by Charlotte FC and traded to LAFC. Tajouri-Shradi had 26 goals and nine assists in 84 appearances (49 starts) with NYCFC.

Thiago Martins: A DP center back, Thiago Martins signed from Japanese first-division side Yokohama F. Marinos this month. Yokohama is part of the City Football Group umbrella as well. He provides a much-needed defensive reinforcement with James Sands heading to Rangers and the depth chart seeming thin behind Alexander Callens and Maxime Chanot.
That’s it for major arrivals. Truth be told, they did their work for 2022 last year, with Thiago Andrade and Talles Magno arriving without clear roles. Magno, in particular, should have a big jump in 2022 after Jesus Medina and Ismael Tajouri-Shradi both departed.
Full roster