The Soccer Journal Podcast

Pep Guardiola has been out of the coaching game since May 2026, when he closed out his Manchester City FC tenure. What is the next step for a coach who's won everywhere and won almost everything there is to win? This episode of The Blueprint has hosts John Baney and Trey Fillmore discussing the possibility, however realistic or far-fetched it might be, of Guardiola coming to America to resume his coaching career. New York City FC is without a coach, Guardiola remains employed by City Football Group as a "global ambassador," and he recently visited NYCFC for one of its home matches. The United States men's national team, meanwhile, is also about to be without a coach with Mauricio Pochettino heading to Manchester United FC, and reports already indicate that US Soccer intends to pursue Guardiola as a top target to replace Pochettino. Would Pep ever really consider a move to New York City Football Club, or to the United States men's national team? The enduring connection with City Football Group, and Guardiola's separate and unique personal connection to the city of New York, give NYCFC at least some semblance of a chance. John and Trey go through NYCFC's coaching history, discuss what conversations might already have taken place in the past related to Guardiola someday coaching NYCFC, and detail Guardiola's love affair with New York City, one that blossomed during his sabbatical from coaching in the 2010s after he left FC Barcelona and before he joined up with FC Bayern Munich. If there's a competition between NYCFC and the USMNT for Pep's services, might NYCFC have the edge? Pep hasn't moved to distance himself from City Football Group in light of Man City's guilty verdict in the Premier League's case against the club over financial rules breaches. He's on City Football Group's payroll right now, as a global ambassador, and it doesn't seem impossible that Pep might be interested in building a "flagship" team in New York City. Or is leading a national team, and distancing himself more from City Football Group, the next frontier for Guardiola? Is the timing even right for him to take either hypothetical job, if offered? He's only six months out from what was an incredibly demanding, decade-long stint at Manchester City. While the chances of Guardiola choosing to jump into the American soccer world might not be great, there's still a dream to hang onto for NYCFC, given the ties that remain between Pep and City Football Group. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Less than 24 hours after the end of the 2026 season, New York City FC announced it parted ways with head coach Pascal Jansen, and hosts Mark Radigan and John Baney and producer Andrew Leigh have their say about the big move made at the very beginning of the offseason. The conversation touches on how much responsibility or blame for NYCFC's failed 2026 season should rest on Jansen's shoulders vs sporting director Todd Dunivant's shoulders, and why all three pod voices agree that a change was needed after two years of Jansen's leadership. There's general talk of what New York City should look for in its next coach, and how important the hire will be given Etihad Park's imminent opening, but John also compiled a long list of names who may or may not get connected with the NYCFC vacancy, featuring some very familiar to MLS, others who are members of the City Football Group coaching tree, plus a few more wild cards to consider as the coaching speculation begins. Beyond the Pascal Jansen and head coach position talk, there are international call-ups happening even as the NYCFC season ends, and the biggest two to discuss are Malachi Jones getting his first Sierra Leone call, plus Matt Freese once again linking up with the United States men's national team, this time for Concacaf Nations League. The show closes out with good bit of Gotham FC discussion. It's about them reaching the NWSL semifinal by beating Seattle Reign FC 1-0 in gritty, no-shots-on-target fashion, but it's also about the absurd stadium situation that's unfolded during and after the Seattle game. Gotham will host its leg of the NWSL semifinal at 5,000-seat Icahn Stadium on scenic Randall's Island, thanks to a playing-surface crisis inside Sports Illustrated Stadium, usual home of Gotham plus Red Bull New York of MLS. Both the Seattle and Gotham players and coaches harshly criticized the state of the brown, patchy playing surface at Sports Illustrated Stadium after Gotham's quarterfinal win, as the pitch in Harrison, New Jersey, suffers from heavy use by two host soccer teams, plus extra recent events like rugby. It's a venue saga that feels relatable after years spent seeing New York City FC bounce around between stadiums, and Gotham's plight should serve as a cautionary tale for the schedule-makers at Etihad Park while they look to prioritize keeping the soccer playing surface usable. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The final nail went into the coffin on Halloween of all days, with New York City FC held to a 1-1 draw with CF Montréal and officially eliminated from contention for a spot in this year's MLS Cup Playoffs. This episode begins with a long discussion among hosts Mark Radigan, John Baney, and producer Andrew Leigh about this year's NYCFC team missing the playoffs. It's partly a revisiting of the many things that went wrong throughout the season to keep the team from finishing among the top 18 teams in Major League Soccer, and it's partly a conversation about what changes should or shouldn't be made heading into the 2027 sprint season. Does Pascal Jansen stick around, and how much personnel change is coming following the disastrous end to this season? The only real positive topic touched on in this episode: Gotham FC winning the NWSL Shield for the first time in the club's history with a 2-0 win in their final regular season match. Gotham keeps collecting trophies and continues to set a high standard in NWSL, and everyone agrees that their continued success only adds to the excitement of seeing them make the move across the Hudson River to begin playing at Etihad Park for the 2028 season. Two NYCFC players who don't appear to have great odds to be playing home matches at Etihad Park are Keaton Parks and Thiago Martins, with each set to be out of contract at season's end, and with each making comments to the press following the club's playoff elimination that indicate they might have played their final home match as members of New York City FC. Their comments and their futures open up a discussion about how much change to expect to this squad heading into 2027, which also leads into one of the final topics of note on this episode: The 2027 sprint season, which will end up being a big farewell to Yankee Stadium, with six of seven home NYCFC matches set to be played in the Bronx between March and May next spring. There's a final (meaningless) match of the 2026 regular season to be played, too, though the show's approach is that the less time spent talking about a blockbuster DC United-NYCFC matchup of non-playoff teams, the better, though one final round of NYCFC result predictions does take place. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Another New York City FC match packed with storylines and twists, though also another New York City FC match without a win. This episode starts with hosts Mark Radigan, John Baney, and producer Andrew Leigh going back through the biggest moments of the 2-2 draw in Orlando, like the extremely late, potentially season-saving equalizer from Jonny Shore. So much went on for NYCFC before that goal at 90'+9' but nothing stirred up the reactions quite like Talles Magno attempting and missing a penalty kick late in the second half while New York City trailed by a goal. Lots of issues with the PK sequence and how it all played out, from the passing over of other possible penalty takers like Nico Fernández Mercau or Alonso Martínez, to the questionable levels of leadership and on-field decision-making shown as it all unfolded. The Shore goal kept it from feeling season-ending, but it definitely felt season-altering. After the long look back at the Orlando tie, it's on to a discussion about NYCFC's young players in light of the latest MLS 22 Under 22 ranking, which included no New York City players for the second time ever and the first time since 2018. Everyone agrees there are talented young players in the squad, like Shore, Luighi, and a few others, but there are different case-by-case reasons as to why none of them earned a spot on this particular list. From there, it's on to the extremely dire playoff qualification odds New York City FC now faces after their 2-2 with Orlando City and the results earned by teams above them in the table, plus a preview of this week's two matches at Citi Field against Atlanta United FC and CF Montréal. They have to be back-to-back wins if there's any dream of keeping Decision Day's trip to play DC United meaningful, but how much confidence is there that NYCFC can actually do what's needed even while facing the two bottom teams in the Eastern Conference? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The season is in sad shape for New York City FC after an unsurprising but still deflating 2-0 loss on the road against Inter Miami, followed shortly thereafter by a downright boring 1-1 draw with LAFC at Citi Field. That the club's three-match week, which began with that brutal loss on the road while up a man against Chicago Fire FC, ends with just one point gained and a tumble down the Eastern Conference table to 12th place has ripped the optimism right out of hosts Mark Radigan and John Baney and producer Andrew Leigh. They struggle to find much of anything positive to say about the performance in Miami, and lament how little NYCFC created in the 1-1 draw with LAFC. The non-Nico Fernández Mercau attacking players can't figure it out, and the preferred personnel in that attack, outside of Fernández Mercau and Agustín Ojeda, remains unsettled while only four matches remain in the season. A late-season improvement might not be coming, but what is coming: Etihad Park, in July 2027, a fact reaffirmed by the tour of the stadium construction site our own John Baney took prior to the LAFC match. John shares more about his tour and the progress made on New York City FC's future home, a discussion which also leads into talk about New York City FC's owners and the hot water they're in over in the UK as it relates to Manchester City FC and the Premier League's case against them. After the stadium and City Football Group talk, it's on to a preview of NYCFC's next match, the trip to face Orlando City SC and its new summer import, Antoine Griezmann. Orlando's turnaround after a slow start, and the different places these two teams now find themselves in since NYCFC earned a 5-0 win in their first meeting in March at Yankee Stadium, are discussed, with little expectation that a repeat of that comfortable win is on the cards for the struggling Pigeons. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The big questions are getting asked on this episode, like: Does the loss to Chicago, and the declining odds of playoff qualification that come along with it, represent rock bottom for a New York City FC team that made the Eastern Conference final one season ago? The nature of the loss, with New York City getting an early lead and getting a man advantage before halftime but wasting it all and losing on an error in possession made by Matt Freese, had hosts Mark Radigan and John Baney and producer Andrew Leigh wondering why all this keeps happening as the team spirals through a stretch in which it now has one win from 11 league matches played. There are questions raised about Pascal Jansen and some of his decision-making, the mentality of the squad, and even about the longer-term vision for this team. With a spot in the MLS Cup Playoffs slipping from the club's grasp, could a big roster overhaul be on the horizon this winter? How hot is the seat for Jansen, and what would missing out on the postseason mean, for the coach, certain players, and even just the perception of the team heading into a high-expectation 2027 that will include the opening of Etihad Park? The big-picture NYCFC questions will get answered in time, but before that, there are two more matches to be previewed, and the first one comes on the road at midweek against Leo Messi and Inter Miami CF. Miami is on its third coach this season and hasn't looked invincible at its new Nu Stadium (rolls off the tongue), but this matchup has been tough on New York City in recent years. Based on Miami's personnel, it looks like it's going to take a massive performance from the New York City defense to slow down the most prolific attack in MLS and get something positive while in South Florida. From Miami to Queens and a meeting with LAFC and its two-headed Heung-min Son-plus-Denis Bouanga attacking monster. LAFC has fallen on harder-than-usual times, recently firing coach Marc Dos Santos and not placing as high in the Western Conference table as you'd expect. NYCFC, meanwhile, has yet to win a match at Citi Field this year, and is this the one that ends that trend? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The extra-long FIFA international break finally nears its end, with New York City FC set to return to league play, but before it's time to preview a next MLS match, Michael Battista joins the usual trio of hosts Mark Radigan and John Baney and producer Andrew Leigh to discuss a trio of other topics. First, the United States men's national team, specifically the national team debuts of local Red Bull New York products Julian Hall and Adri Mehmeti, and the general excitement around the next generation of the USMNT, with 17-year-old Cavan Sullivan continuing to break out and looking right at home while the United States beat Mexico in a friendly. After the USMNT, the conversation shifts to local matters, beginning with the leadership changes for the New York Cosmos. Erik Stover, who'd been the club's CEO, was abruptly announced to be out of his role only two weeks after the Cosmos parted ways with their Head of Soccer, Giuseppe Rossi. Michael Battista sheds some light on the differing club-building strategies that led to rifts within the Cosmos hierarchy, then covers what could come next for the Cosmos under new sporting leadership and heading into a second season in USL League One. Another different local team is rumored to not be returning for the next USL League One season, and that's Westchester SC, with the Mount Vernon-based club mentioned alongside Texas side Corpus Christi FC as teams that could cease operations in the near future. Michael shares what he's heard about that possibility, and that leads into a wider discussion about the challenges faced by all the local, non-MLS pro teams. Then it's on to New York City FC playing the first of its final six regular-season matches of this season, heading to the Windy City to play Chicago Fire FC at Soldier Field this coming weekend. Are we in "must win" mode for NYCFC to salvage this season, as they sit just barely in a playoff spot? What kind of big lineup calls might Pascal Jansen make while in search of a late-season spark for his sputtering side? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A guilty verdict is now confirmed for Manchester City FC in the 115-charge case brought against it by the English Premier League over violations of the league's financial rules. In this episode of The Blueprint, hosts John Baney and Trey Fillmore try to get to the bottom of how this massive development for City Football Group's biggest club will impact its sister team in the United States, New York City FC. The 115 charges have hung over Manchester City since 2023, but there's finally a ruling. Before getting into the "what it means for NYCFC" portion of the issue, there's a need to run through the long-running case itself, as well as other financial rules-related scandals that have swirled around Manchester City going back years even before the 115 charges. Then it's on to the ruling. The Premier League's case found that the club created "sham" sponsorship arrangements that disguised injections of cash from CFG's United Arab Emirates-backed ownership as sponsor revenue, while generally being in breach of both the Premier League's and UEFA's spending limits. Manchester City and its leaders publicly remain defiant and claim innocence, but the club's window to appeal the ruling is short, and that appeal can only address legal or procedural errors made in the case — so the next big question becomes, how will Manchester City be punished? The punishment, whether it be stripped titles, forced relegations, gigantic financial fines, or some mix of that or more, remains unclear, and your hosts doubt any penalty will be proportionate to the size of the violations, though they also don't think Man City will ever be the same once the dust settles. Part of the settling of the dust is how all this trickles down to the other teams inside Man City's shared City Football Group ecosystem. John and Trey think there are multiple possible points of complication for New York City FC, like the MLS club not turning a profit and relying entirely on CFG's funding, the multi-club group's global influence in the realms of scouting and player recruitment, and the ubiquity of Etihad Airways, UAE state-owned airline, as a NYCFC sponsor, on a club and now stadium-naming-rights level. There are also people inside the MLS and NYCFC spheres of orbit wrapped up in the Manchester City situation, like NYCFC's current Chief Financial Officer, who was Man City's finance director during the period covered in the Premier League's case. There are a significant number of unanswered questions still swirling around in the wake of the ruling, but this episode covers as many of the possible points of connection between the scandal and NYCFC as it can, with plenty more still to come in future episodes or in future developments that occur as a result of the case. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hosts Mark Radigan and John Baney and producer Andrew Leigh are officially no worse for wear after hunkering down for the nor'easter, but they've got lots of ground to cover when discussing the latest setback in this New York City FC season of setbacks. The 2-2 draw against less-than-stellar, less-than-full-strength Atlanta United FC was more of the same, though not in a good way, for NYCFC and for coach Pascal Jansen. Players inexplicably switching off at bad times, individual errors resulting in match-deciding goals, and valuable points dropped from a winning position: These were all there in the Atlanta draw, and they're issues that have cost New York City all season. The draw talk leads into a bigger-picture discussion about the playoff race in the MLS Eastern Conference. You get the lay of the land around the final few playoff spots, a look at how NYCFC's closest rivals for those spots are faring at this late-season stage, and talk of what it will take from NYCFC's remaining matches for the club to actually get to the playoffs again. Then it's over to England to touch on the big scandal engulfing NYCFC's sister team Manchester City FC, with the club reported last week by The Athletic's David Ornstein to have been found guilty on nearly all of the 115 charges the club faced over breaking Premier League financial rules. The big takeaway: It's impossible to say, as of now, how any of this will impact the other City Football Group clubs that join Man City in the shared multi-club universe, and what any of this could mean for New York City FC and its soccer business over here in the United States. Speaking of the United States, it's still an international break for a few more weeks, and the United States men's national team is back playing for the first time since this summer's World Cup, and NYCFC's Matt Freese was still the starting goalkeeper, at least for the first half of the first friendly vs Peru. While Freese is a World Cup holdover and now the most experienced goalkeeper in this very-young camp, everyone on the pod agrees that the current moment is all about experience and exposure for the next generation of potential USMNT starters and contributors, including those competing to start between the sticks. Highly-touted young goalkeeper Diego Kochen was one of 11 players handed a USMNT debut by Mauricio Pochettino in the first friendly of this new 2030 World Cup cycle, and the initial returns were promising for the next class of USMNT players, with two debutants scoring goals and with none of the youngsters looking out of place. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The mood is grim in the wake of the 1-0 loss to Red Bull New York in the Hudosn River Derby, with hosts Mark Radigan and John Baney and producer Andrew Leigh wondering if New York City FC will even manage to make the MLS Cup Playoffs at this point. Doubting is easier to do now that NYCFC is outside of the playoff places after a stretch with one win from nine MLS matches played. First, the conversation focuses on what went so wrong in the loss to the Red Bulls: The James Sands error, yes, but also the many missed chances, the stunning lack of resiliency, and some more questionable moves made by coach Pascal Jansen. There's a decent-sized discussion had about Jansen's handling of this year's New York City squad, with questions asked about recurring individual and mental lapses, and if they point to a deeper culture problem under his leadership. After the derby autopsy, it's on to the rumored Matt Miazga signing. Is the 2026 version of the antagonistic Miazga actually an upgrade on what NYCFC has in-house? Complaints about his history with the Red Bulls and his abrasive style of play aside, the group does generally welcomes the bite and leadership he could add to a team lacking in the toughness department. From Miazga it's on to a discussion about the newly-released roster profile of this New York City FC squad, highlighting NYCFC's under-delivering premium Designated Player and U22 Initiative roster slots, and the contract decisions looming around players like Thiago Martins, Keaton Parks, and others. The show wraps with a rundown of the four NYCFC players heading off for national team duty during this FIFA international window, and the particular significance of Matt Freese getting called back up to the United States men's national team, now serving the role of "World Cup veteran" among an inexperienced, young goalkeeper group. Freese won't be playing in NYCFC's next match, which is the final topic covered on this episode, as the guys preview the away match against Atlanta United FC at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. It's not historically been a friendly place to visit for New York City, but given how bad Atlanta has been this year, and that Atlanta will also be shorthanded thanks to international call-ups, this feels like something close to a "must-win," or at minimum a "don't lose," for NYCFC. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.