New York City FC’s dream of winning a second MLS Cup came to an end at the feet of bitter rivals New York Red Bulls on Saturday. While the defeat may sting for the Pigeons, there was tremendous progress in 2024 and head coach Nick Cushing wants the fans to realize that this is not the team’s ceiling but only the beginning.
“Be proud of the team,” said Cushing to the fans. “Be proud of the journey the team went on. Be proud of how the team grew throughout the season. Be proud of how the team took the knocks and stayed humble enough to continue to work, to stay together.”
The team’s journey was certainly a roller coaster this season with Cushing being on the hot seat during the early part of the campaign. A lackluster start, mixed with the team’s inability to find a consistent goalscoring threat, left them wondering if they would miss the MLS Cup Playoffs for the second year in a row, something the team has not done in their history.
All of that changed before the end of the first third of the season. Winger turned striker, Alonso Martinez, become the team’s guiding light, scoring 16 goals in the league and becoming the threat the team desperately needed following the departure of Valentin Castellanos the year prior. One of the youngest squads in MLS was also bolstered by a returning veteran in Maxi Moralez.
City soared from there, defeating Red Bulls twice by the end of the season and falling just short of fourth place and a home playoff game. The first round of playoffs saw them face a stiff challenge in FC Cincinnati but the team was up to the task. Despite falling in the first game, they responded with a strong win in game two and a grueling final game which saw them proceed on penalties.
This game against New York Red Bulls represented a tipping moment for the club. While they have raised an MLS Cup before their crosstown rivals, they had yet to play each other in the playoffs. Unfortunately, it didn’t turn out the way the 2021 MLS Cup champions would have preferred but head coach Nick Cushing is never one to shy away from positivity.
“We had some difficult results this year,” said Cushing. “We pushed all the way and finished strong in the regular season and got through a really difficult series against Cincinnati. We fought right till the end tonight. What we’ve shown is that there is a real spirit and a real soul in there and a real foundation to go forward and continue to try and win with this team.”
City will have a long offseason to think about whether there are changes that need to be made. Mounsef Bakrar and Jovan Mijatovic made little difference and were replaced by surging Martinez. In the midfield, Moralez and the much younger Santiago Rodriguez struggled to unleash their potential when on the field at the same time. Now that it is over, City will have time for introspection and come back strong in 2025.
photo by Jordan Bank