2025 New York City FC Player Preview: Kevin O’Toole

Last year, Kevin O’Toole became a write-his-name-in-Sharpie starter.

The left-back started 28 out of a possible 34 games in the 2024 Major League Soccer regular season and was in the starting lineup for all four playoff games. He was one of eight players who formed the core of the New York City FC squad, and his 2391 minutes in the regular season was the seventh-highest on the team. It was more than double the 1190 minutes he logged in 2023.

To put it in simple terms, O’Toole made the left-back position his in 2024.

He earned it. O’Toole fought for minutes the year before with Braian Cufré, the left-back who was brought in from RCD Mallorca at the start of the 2023 season and given the sixth-highest salary on the team. But Cufré fell out of favor as the year progressed, and was released at the end of the 2023 season.

The front office didn’t bring in anybody to contend with O’Toole for the position in 2024. True, there was nominal competition at left-back from Christian McFarlane, the wunderkind considered one of the top prospects on the planet — and who signed with Manchester City last month. But the teenager spent most of the year at NYCFC II, and made just four starts in the regular season: McFarlane filled in for O’Toole after the Princeton graduate suffered an injury in the July 6 loss to Austin FC, but he didn’t seriously contest the position as much as proved to be an adept backup when needed.

O’Toole looks to be the everyday starter in 2025. With McFarlane gone and no new left-backs signed to the team, the position is once again his.

Bombing up and down the flanks

But is that a good thing? The New York City FC system asks a lot of the fullbacks, who spend the game bombing up and down the flanks. They’re expected to take part in every attack, press when not in possession, and track back to defend. They cover more ground than any other position on the team.

You could argue that the competition at right-back between Tayvon Gray and Mitja Ilenič benefits them both. Last year, they shared duties almost evenly – Gray made 19 starts and logged 1631 minutes, while Ilenič made 16 starts and logged 1471 minutes – and combined for nine goal involvements over the regular season and playoffs.

That was far more productive than what was happening on the other side of the field. O’Toole had three goal involvements in 2024, two assists and one gorgeous game-winning goal against Toronto FC on March 16 (see the video below). They were the first goal involvements of his MLS career, but you want to see a little more from a player as intelligent and technical as O’Toole.

It’s especially true when he’s combining with attackers such as Malachi Jones, Maxi Moralez, Agustín Ojeda, Keaton Parks, and Santiago Rodríguez. Other teams should be terrified of New York City’s left flank, and that begins with O’Toole carrying the ball into dangerous places.

Kevin O’Toole | First MLS Goal: A game-winner against Toronto FC

A little depth, please

To be honest, O’Toole looked gassed at the back end of the 2024 season. You can’t help but wonder if a little time management from Cushing could have helped. No player is going to ask to be rested, but playing McFarlane strategically in a couple of midweek games could have given O’Toole the time to recover and be at his best.

Now that McFarlane is gone, who could relieve O’Toole in 2025? The 26-year-old started in yesterday’s friendly against Sporting Kansas City at the Coachella Invitational, but he was replaced in the 60th minute by Nicholas Cavallo, who joined New York City from UCLA.

Cavallo was selected in the third round of the 2025 MLS SuperDraft, where he was the 88th overall pick. Could he become O’Toole’s understudy? It’s rare for a third-round pick to make the First Team — although O’Toole was a second-round pick to be fair. Cavallo isn’t yet signed to the club, but he’s the only other defender on the 34-player preseason roster who’s also a natural left-back. The fact is, the team needs somebody on the left who isn’t O’Toole, and who isn’t playing out of position.

Remember, the MLS schedule is brutal to hard-running players like O’Toole, especially when midweek games are held during the sticky North American summer. Looking ahead, New York City play away at Charlotte on July 12, away at Orlando on July 16, away at Kansas City on July 19, and away at Houston on July 25. That’s four games in 14 days: A little depth at left-back would allow O’Toole to do what’s required of the position on the days he plays.

Another gear?

Or, to put it another way, it could allow O’Toole to become the player he’s capable of being.

O’Toole improved incrementally in the last year – his 82.6% pass completion rate per FBRef is a slight improvement over the 81.0% logged in 2023 – but you get the sense that the two-time Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year who is comfortable with the ball at his feet has another gear in him.

There are no stats to back this up, only vibes. But the vibes are strong, and you can’t help but wonder if this will be a breakout season for the attacker-turned-fullback.