NYCFC has put the finishing touches on its preseason preparations, closing out the Coachella Valley Invitational on a hopeful note.
The men in blue had a productive time in California, doubling down on manager Pascal Jansen’s ‘bulletproof’ mentality and fine-tuning their tactical systems.
Ahead of the team’s highly-anticipated season opener against Inter Miami, the Pigeons have solidified their formational flexibility, learned how to navigate out of uncomfortable situations, and shown promise in the attacking build-up phase.
Here are three takeaways from NYCFC’s last two matches at Coachella.
NYCFC embraces organized chaos with fluid attack
Throughout the tournament, NYCFC played variations of the 4-3-3 or 4-2–3-1 formations. These two systems allow the squad to have attacking fluidity while maintaining a defensive spine of two midfielders.
During the team’s last two games against St. Louis City and Minnesota United, the men in blue looked comfortable with the positional flexibility, finding moments in transition where the forward, wingers, and attacking midfielder all interchanged positions.
According to Jansen, this freedom in the attacking third is intentional, purposely making it difficult for the opposition defense to man-mark his players.
“We want to be unpredictable and surprising,” Jansen told reporters earlier in preseason. “We like direct attacks and getting in behind opponents. We want to be predictable to ourselves, but unpredictable to our opponents.”
Organized chaos is an appropriate name to call NYCFC’s new style. It remains to be seen if the team can implement this tactic quickly, but at Coachella, Jansen’s men took the first steps in making his vision a reality.
Who replaces Santiago Rodriguez?
According to Tom Bogert of GiveMeSport, star forward Santiago Rodriguez is set to leave the club to join Brazilian side Botafogo.
Rodriguez, 25, has been a stud for NYCFC since 2021, racking up a combined amount of 62 goals and assists in 144 appearances for the team. When the Uruguayan departs, it will leave a gaping hole in the squad’s attack.
Although Rodriguez’s departure does hurt the team, there are various attacking options at Jansen’s disposal. Forwards Agustin Ojeda, Mounsef Bakrar, and Alonso Martinez now have the opportunity to step up in Rodriguez’s absence.
Similar to how the club adjusted after midfielder James Sands’s departure to St. Pauli, Jansen is banking on the budding chemistry between the existing roster players to compensate for the loss of Rodriguez’s talent.
Speaking to the media before their last game against Minnesota, Jansen specifically singled out Bakrar and Martinez to lead the offensive line in 2025.
“We’re looking for a collaboration between [Alonso Martinez] and [Mounsef Bakar],” the former AZ Alkmaar boss said.
“You use the word chemistry, which is very important because you have to feel each other out as attackers. Both of them are good as a [striker], but both of them are able to score a lot of goals.”
While Rodriguez’s move away creates a challenge, Jansen’s system thrives on a group effort rather than individual brilliance. If Bakrar and Martinez can build on their strengths, NYCFC’s attack could be a force to be reckoned with in 2025.
Gearing up for a tough season opener
As NYCFC’s pre-season comes to an end, the real test begins.
On Feb. 22, the Pigeons will take on the reigning Supporters Shield holders, Inter Miami.
Miami, led by the likes of Lionel Messi, Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets, and Luis Suarez, will be a tough test for a City side that wants to improve upon its sixth-place finish in the Eastern Conference last season.
When asked about the season opener, Jansen put all his faith in the team’s pre-season preparations.
“This is the moment we’re preparing for. Once we started on [day one of pre-season], we mentioned the 22nd of February as the moment to be ready as a team,” the 52-year-old told reporters. “So, we’re progressing every day, and we’ll be ready [once the 22nd comes around], in order to be competing in MLS.”
Miami is coming off a long-winded preseason tour that included stops in South and Central America. Additionally, the Herons will start their CONCACAF Champions Cup campaign on Tuesday, leaving them with just four days of rest before playing NYCFC.
Whatever the outcome of the match is, one thing is clear: Thanks to Coachella, the men in blue will be ready.
