Starts: 4
Minutes: 383
Age: 24
Key Stat: 3 goals allowed in 5 appearances
The job of backup goalkeeper is thankless: You train with the First Team, dress for every game, prepare yourself to play, then spend most of the year on the bench.
It's even harder if you're the understudy to Matt Freese, who was just signed to a contract extension through 2030. Let's be real — there's little to no chance that you're going to challenge for the No 1 spot, knocking off Mauricio Pochettino's first-choice goalkeeper for the United States men's national team.
But Tomás Romero took the lemons handed to him and made lemonade. The 24-year-old, who joined New York City FC at the start of the 2024 season, finally saw First Team minutes in 2025. It wasn't clear at the start of the season who would take over the backup role after Luis Barraza was traded for DC United, but Romero climbed up the depth chart, overtaking Alex Rando, the Homegrown player who had been the primary goalkeeper for NYCFC II (and whose option was declined just last week), and Greg Ranjitsingh, the 32-year-old journeyman who signed with the club just this January.
Head Coach Pascal Jansen's decision to deputize Romero proved to be correct. The goalkeeper made his First Team debut in the US Open Cup, then went on to make five appearances in all competitions. Romero allowed just three goals in those matches – that works out to a spectacular 0.71 goals allowed per 90 minutes – compiling a record of 3W-0D-2L between the sticks.
Promising vs Pittsburgh, excellent vs Atlanta
Romero's first start came in May, when NYCFC faced Pittsburgh Riverhounds in the US Open Cup. It was a match to forget for NYCFC, who were held scoreless by the USL Championship side, then gave up a stoppage-time winner. But Romero was outstanding in goal, making four saves to keep New York City in a game that the attack seemed intent on throwing away. He was easily the best NYCFC player to take the field at Highmark Stadium, earning Player of the Match honors for the shift he put in.
His next start came the following month against Atlanta United at Yankee Stadium, when Freese was on international duty with the USMNT. Romero made three saves as NYCFC rolled to a dominant 4-0 win. Romero was in goal for New York City's following two matches – a hapless 1-0 loss to CF Montréal at Stade Saputo followed by an emphatic 3-1 win over Toronto FC at Yankee Stadium – making 10 saves over those three league games.
His final appearance for the First team in 2025 came in September against Red Bull New York at Sports Illustrated Stadium. Romero was subbed on in the 67th minute for the injured Matt Freese, preserving NYCFC's one goal advantage in a back-and-forth 3-2 win. A late Red Bull onslaught had the hosts take five shots in stoppage time from inside the box — Romero didn't have to make a save, but his composure in goal and his track record from earlier matches helped New York City get the game over the line and win the 32nd Hudson River Derby.
Matthew Mangam
All you can ask for, and more
It's unfair to blame Romero for the 1-0 losses to Pittsburgh and Montréal even they took place on his watch. He didn't make any glaring errors in those games — unlike the sputtering attack that couldn't find a way to score against teams they should have easily dominated. A more clinical NYCFC could have (should have?) won both of those matches.
But those what-ifs are beside the point. What's certain is that ewhen Romero is in goal, he keeps NYCFC competitive no matter the circumstances. There's not much more you can ask of a backup, especially one whose salary puts him #25 out of the 33 players on the NYCFC payroll.
