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Andres Jasson
Age: 20
Position: Midfielder
2021 League Games: 20 games, 6 starts, 676 minutes played
2021 Postseason: 1 game, 0 starts, 1 minute played
What went right in 2021:
One of seven Homegrown players on the New York City FC roster, Andres Jasson received meaningful playing time in 2021: Jasson started in six of his first eight appearances, logging 676 minutes on the year. While Jasson didn’t receive another start for the rest of the season, simply being able to get playing time while on such a loaded roster was a win in itself for the 20-yer-old midfielder.
Jasson showed himself to be a versatile player for the team, getting on the pitch as a winger, midfielder, and wingback depending on manager Ronny Delia’s tactics in any given match. That versatility also came with a top-notch work rate, as indicated by his Per 90 stats on FBRef.com.
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Jasson showed that he can be effective in applying pressure on the opposition and assisting with the maintaining of possession. Not only that, but Jasson accumulated the third-highest number of fouls drawn on the club, trailing only Maxi Moralez and Taty Castellanos. In fact, Jasson’s ability to draw fouls has become so well known that there is even a compilation video of all the times he was fouled on YouTube. (Great work by Chris Campbell putting that together.) Jasson displayed great craftiness and technical ability for such a young player.
What to improve in 2022:
While Jasson showed some moments of brilliance and ability, there is still a lot to be desired when it comes to the final product. A strong defensive player, Jasson’s attacking and playmaking data fall into the red. Jasson came through the academy as a forward, and you would expect him to be a bit more creative in his limited playing time with the senior club. If Jasson wants to keep making strides in earning more playing time, he’s going to have to show himself as a more progressive player when he’s on the pitch.
That’s because his best chance to grabmore minutes is by playing up top. While he acquitted himself pretty well as a wingback last season, it’s hard to see him getting regular time in the defensive third with Malte Amundsen and Chris Gloster on the left, and Anton Tinnerholm and Tayvon Gray on the right—not to mention the potential three-man backline now that the club added Thiago Martins. There are too many players ahead of him.
On the flip side, the departures of Jesús Medina and Ismael Tajouri-Shradi plus the likely sale of Castellanos may clear some room on the right side of the attacking third. But only if Jasson can show himself as a more threatening player up top.
What to expect in 2022:
Jasson is at a critical stage of his development: Now is the time to figure out where on the pitch he settle. Is he a winger? A midfielder? A wingback? It’s not clear, and it’s hard to figure that out while trying to get playing time on the senior club.
Jasson might find more opportunities with NYCFC II in MLS NEXT Pro, the third-tier league starting this year. Considered a developmental league, MLS NEXT Pro could be exactly the right place where a player like Jasson could work on his game, develop his skills, and gain the confidence he needs to make an impact when called into service by Delia once again.
Jasson can expect more of the same limited playing time on the senior team this year, but could log significantly more minutes playing with NYCFC II in MLS NEXT Pro.