Justin Haak's future with New York City FC at the end of the 2024 season was unclear.
The midfielder, who signed his first professional contract with the club in 2019 at the age of 17, was frustrated with his lack of playing time with the First Team. He told journalist and NYCFC Radio announcer Glenn Crooks that he was ready to be an everyday starter, and wanted to be with an organization that felt the same. Haak didn't say he was looking to go to another club, but his message to the NYCFC front office was clear: Either play him, or move him.
Fast-forward to this year, and Haak is one of three players to start in all 17 league games New York City has played in 2025. He's the club's Iron Horse, playing 1480 out of a possible 1530 minutes — only goalkeeper Matt Freese has spent more time on the field. Haak is now a part of a defense that held the best teams in the Eastern Conference scoreless, but that also allowed five goals in their last two games. He's a crucial part of the club's best performances, and once he becomes a more consistent player, he could establish himself as one of the best attacking center-backs in the league.
Minuteman
Only three NYCFC players have started in all 17 Major League Soccer games this season: Freese, Haak, and (incredibly) the 38-year-old Maxi Moralez. Haak's 1480 minutes trails only Freese's 1530 minutes, and is well above the 1389 minutes logged by third-place Alonso Martínez in the 16 games he played this year.
New York City FC | 2025 Minutes by Player
| Player | Starts | Minutes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Matt Freese | 17 | 1530 |
| 2. | Justin Haak | 17 | 1480 |
| 3. | Alonso Martínez | 16 | 1389 |
| 4. | Hannes Wolf | 16 | 1375 |
| 5. | Maxi Moralez | 17 | 1367 |
Haak's playing time in 2025 is even more remarkable when you consider that he never once had more than 1000 minutes in his previous six seasons with the First Team. The third Homegrown signed by the club, Haak made his MLS debut in 2019, then didn't make another appearance until 2022.
Justin Haak | Starts and Minutes by Year
| Year | Starts | Minutes |
|---|---|---|
| 2025* | 17 | 1480 |
| 2024 | 6 | 776 |
| 2023 | 10 | 910 |
| 2022 | 7 | 760 |
| 2021 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 | 6 |
* Through 17 Games
That was then. Not only did Haak get his wish this year, he is now an everyday starter, already almost doubling the 776 minutes he put up in 2024. If he goes the full 90 in the 17 remaining games this year he will top 3000 minutes, a feat that only one New York City outfield player has ever accomplished: Alex Callens played every moment of every game in 2017, logging 3060 minutes that year.
Matthew Mangam
Where's Justin?
Haak might now be one of the team's most consistent starters, but his actual position remains a question. Haak came up through the academy as a midfielder, and he was in the opening day's Starting XI as a No 6. But head coach Pascal Jansen now mostly has him playing as a center-back alongside Thiago Martins, although he will sometimes move into the midfield later in a game.
More recently, Haak has started to venture farther upfield. Despite lining up as a center-back he can be the team's most advanced player when he joins the attack, and carry the ball into the opponent's box as a part of the buildup.
We covered his evolution recently in Hudson River Blue, and how his new role as a hybrid attacking center-back led to his notching two assists in two games — the first in his MLS career. We won't re-report that post – you can read it here – but we will borrow three heatmaps from that analysis that show his positioning in the 1-0 win over Cincinnati on May 4, the 0-0 draw with DC on May 14, and the 3-1 win over Chicago on May 25.
Haak's off-ball movement can sometimes turn watching a match into a session of "Where's Justin?" You might spot Haak bombing up the flank and overlapping with Hannes Wolf on the left, or making a run into the box and sending a cross from the right. Sometimes he plays in front of Jonny Shore, who's usually lined up as the No 6. Sometimes he's back on defensive duty, making physical challenges against the opposition's forwards that he sincerely seems to relish.
When it works, it's magic. Haak has proven himself to be a true two-way threat, a player who can go from defense to attack and back.
When it doesn't work, it can be catastrophic.
Haak and the rest of the defense were out of synch in the 2-0 loss to New England Revolution on April 19, when New York City was lucky not to lose by more. And then there was the 3-1 loss at Yankee Stadium to Houston Dynamo on May 28, when Haak opened the scoring with an own-goal. Then, in the second half, Haak was too advanced to help defend against the run of play that led to Houston's second goal.
Oliver Strand
The next 17 games
At the risk of sounding obvious, Haak will want his remaining games this season to be more like the ones he had against Cincinnati, DC, and Chicago, rather than the ones he had against New England and Houston.
He's in the position to make that happen. Haak clearly has the trust of Jansen, who can be startlingly direct when he holds his players to account. Jansen also is known to cultivate young talent, and must relish the opportunity to turn the sometimes-starter and depth piece that Haak was in 2024 into the foundational player that Haak is proving to be today.
Haak's midterm grade reflects his accomplishments this season as well as his shortfalls, and also his potential. To go by his recent development, Haak will continue to improve and become more consistent this year, and undoubtedly will raise his game — and his grade.
