After an eventful preseason, including a fruitful time at the Coachella Valley Invitational, NYCFC is ready to hit the ground running as they begin the 2025 Major League Soccer season.
The men in blue will open the year on Saturday night against Inter Miami (7:30 p.m. ET) in a game that will serve as an early benchmark for this new-look, youth-heavy squad.
With new manager Pascal Jansen at the helm, and a fresh ‘bulletproof’ mindset setting the tone for the year, NYCFC is prepared for whatever challenges may come their way — both in the season opener and beyond.
While the team is eager to improve upon last season’s sixth-place finish in the Eastern Conference, the lack of incoming signings remains a big concern heading into 2025. Despite doubts from fans and pundits, Jansen is putting his faith in the squad’s existing players to step up and fill the gaps left by midfielder James Sands, forward Jovan Mijatovic, and the soon-to-depart attacker Santiago Rodriguez.
“It’s quite common, that players come and go [at clubs]. They make their steps, and sometimes they make their steps to Europe or wherever they go and try their chances somewhere else,” Jansen told reporters ahead of NYCFC’s trip to South Florida. “In our case, it opens doors for other players to perform. That’s what has happened in the past four weeks [of preseason]. Other players have presented themselves in order to fill up gaps that came into the team.”
Among the players Jansen is counting on are 2024’s leading scorer Alonso Martinez, forward Mounsef Bakar, and midfielder Justin Haak, all of whom played key roles during NYCFC’s time at Coachella. Although vocal about his belief in his squad, questions do remain about whether the team has enough firepower to replace key exits. That answer may come sooner rather than later, with a baptism by fire in the season opener against Miami.
The Herons enter the year as the current Supporters’ Shield holders, having set the record for most points in a single MLS season in 2024. The club also returns its star-studded ‘Big 4’ which includes Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets, and Lionel Messi.
“[Lionel Messi] and [Luis Suarez] can play. They score the goals, and they’re very important for [Inter Miami’s] style of play,” Jansen said. “Once they’re in possession, especially in the turnovers going into attack, you have to be really careful where Suarez and Messi are, those are the guys that will make the difference.”
But while Miami has a wealth of experience running throughout the squad, NYCFC has something they do not: fresh legs and a week of preparation. With Miami’s midweek CONCACAF Champions Cup match, the Herons could be running on fumes come Saturday night.
“We finished preseason during the weekend, so we had a whole week to prepare ourselves for this game,” Jansen noted. “[Inter Miami] has been very competitive over preseason, and played many games. As I’ve gotten to know [NYCFC as a team] they like playing matches more than they like to train, so I don’t think it’ll be a problem for them turning up and trying to play a good game on Saturday.”
NYCFC also has a psychological edge over Miami, with the Pigeons dominating the head-to-head season series with eight wins in 12 matches played.
Jansen will approach this match much like many of the team’s preseason games, emphasizing defensive structure and discipline as they look to disrupt Miami’s attacking rhythm and offensively exploit moments in transition. Favoring a 4-2-3-1 formation, the men in blue will look to high-press with intensity while keeping their shape against a strong opponent – similar to their tactics at Coachella.
“The things we want to implement and the new ideas we have are already visible at times during those [preseason] matches,” Jansen said when asked about planning for the opener.
“So far, I think the intensity has increased, there’s slightly more variety in our attacking play, and we’re working on becoming more organized out of possession because consistency within this squad is something we’re aiming for.”
In the end, NYCFC in 2025 will not be defined by player departures or lack of signings; this is a team that is looking ahead at what the season could be.
With a week of rest and a tactical approach built on an aggressive, direct, ‘can-do’ mentality, NYCFC has the tools to make life difficult for Inter Miami. The season opener will not just be a measure of where they stand, it is a chance to show that a new era of the club is here.
