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by Bleav
The Hudson River Blue Podcast looks at soccer from a New York City perspective. We cover everything from NYCFC and MLS, to European giants and global fútbol, to lower-league clubs in the Tri-State Area. If you want angry boys shouting about managers and refs, this isn't for you: We're here to inform you, and to keep it fun.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Time to interrupt the World Cup summer with a healthy dose of New York City FC discussion. That's what you get at the start of this episode of The Soccer Journal Podcast, with a lot of time dedicated to talking about new New York City FC Designated Player Bénie Traoré. Hosts Mark Radigan and John Baney plus producer Andrew Leigh discuss what they like about Traoré, how he'll fit alongside fellow DP Nico Fernández Mercau in attack, and why Traoré might be the one to play at center-forward until Alonso Martínez returns from his long-term knee injury. From there, discussion turned to the swirling reports linking NYCFC with a push to sign USMNT star Christian Pulisic, reportedly offering $10 million annually to pry him from AC Milan. Lots to be said about Pulisic, ranging from speculation about if he'd want to come to MLS in the near-term to what he'd do for NYCFC off the field with Etihad Park's opening looming. Before switching gears back to the World Cup, the show also touches on a separate transfer rumor coming out of Brazil, specifically that NYCFC is reportedly interested in loaning in Vasco da Gama center-back Lucas Freitas. Next, we pivot fully to the World Cup, generally displeased with Mauricio Pochettino's decision to so heavily rotate his USMNT lineup for what would become a 3-2 loss to Türkiye to close out Group D. No one can find the wisdom in benching Matt Freese, and the show wonders what the result means, if anything at all, heading into the must-win Round of 32 clash with Bosnia and Herzegovina. The group previewed Bosnia by looking back at their impressive results in qualifying, and their less-impressive results through three World Cup group games. No preview would be complete without also looking one step ahead of Bosnia and wondering how the USMNT would potentially match up against either Belgium or Senegal, who they'd face in the Round of 16, if things get that far. 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.
A second straight episode that starts off with a dissection of a World Cup win for the United States, though this time it's just host Mark Radigan and producer Andrew Leigh on hand to break down USMNT 2-0 Australia. First up, how a Christian Pulisic-less US side still managed to break down Australia's five-player defensive block, with credit given to Mauricio Pochettino's formation tweak and willingness to play with two forwards in the face of Pulisic's absence and Australia's overly-defensive tendencies. There's also some talk of Matt Freese's performance in goal for the United States, and what a perfect two wins from two games played does for our expectations heading into both the meaningless final group-stage match vs Türkiye, and the World Cup knockout rounds that follow it. Knockout-round talk also leads into some speculation about the opponents and matchups the United States might face in the Round of 32 and beyond, and each of Mark and Andrew takes a moment to reset their expectations for the USMNT: How far do they think the US will actually go? After the United States is sorted, it's on to some New York City FC roster talk. That begins with the big news that James Sands is returning to the New York City squad and signing a contract extension with the team that made him its first Homegrown signing way back in 2017. How does it feel seeing Sands come back for a second time, and how will Pascal Jansen fit him into his squad? Another roster development, though one that's just a rumor at this point, is that New York City FC is trying to sign 23-year-old Ivorian winger Bénie Traoré of FC Basel 1893 in Switzerland. There's background filled in about Traoré, tracing his path from Cote d'Ivoire to Sweden to England to France and then to Switzerland, and Mark and Andrew assess how well he'd fit as both a high-priced Designated Player and in a New York City attack operating without Maxi Moralez and (for now) Alonso Martínez. 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.
The Hudson River Blue Podcast looks at soccer from a New York City perspective. We cover everything from NYCFC and MLS, to European giants and global fútbol, to lower-league clubs in the Tri-State Area. If you want angry boys shouting about managers and refs, this isn't for you: We're here to inform you, and to keep it fun.
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