Starts: 9
Minutes: 778
Age: 26
Key Stat: 1 goal involvement in 5 league games
Will the real Raul Gustavo please stand up?
Sometimes, Raul Gusatvo is the left-footed center back any club would dream of signing: Physical, confident, and technical, a two-way threat that frustrates the opposition’s attackers and terrifies their defenders. We saw that Raul Gustavo in New York City FC’s 1-0 win over Philadelphia Union in the Eastern Conference Semifinal, when he made nine defensive contributions at one end of the field, seven passes into the attacking third at the other. That Raul Gustavo can’t be stopped.
But sometimes, Raul Gusatvo can be the weak link in an otherwise solid defense. We saw that Raul Gusatvo in the 1-0 loss to Philadelphia Union on October 4, when he regularly gave up the ball in dangerous positions. That Raul Gusatvo was easily dispossessed, and became one of the team’s biggest liabilities on the field.
Creating chemistry
It’s a little unfair to expect too much of Raul Gusatvo, who joined the team late in the season. The 26-year-old was signed on August 15, just before Matchday 25. The defender joined from the European offseason, and he needed some time to adjust to the team and become match-fit. Raul Gusatvo didn’t make his club debut until almost one month later, when New York City beat Chicago Fire 3-1 on September 13 in Matchday 28, and he didn’t become a regular starter until the 3-2 win over Red Bull New York on September 27 in Matchday 32.
In other words, Raul Gusatvo is still vibing with the team. On-field chemistry is essential in a defensive partnership, and that takes time.
While that helps explain performances like the one against Philadelphia in October, it doesn’t excuse it. That loss can’t be put at his feet, but the poor quality of Raul Gustavo’s play that night shut down some promising moments for New York City. He’ll need to do better when the 2026 season rolls around.
Hudson River Blue Staff
Double threat?
When Hudson River Blue scouted Raul Gustavo after he signed with NYCFC, we noted that the 6′ 2″ center back would bring some much-needed physicality to the squad. He looked to be a defensive upgrade over Birk Risa, who struggled against the league’s larger forwards.
We didn’t foresee how the defender could prove to be an attacking threat. In just his third appearance with the club, Rual Gustavo provided a peach of an assist to Andrés Perea in New York City’s 3-2 win over Red Bull New York on September 27. It created a goal out of nothing: Aiden O’Neill distributed the ball to Rual Gustavo on the left flank, who then sent a low cross into the box that Perea pinged into a long, looping header that beat goalkeeper Carlos Coronel at the far post.
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Raul Gustavo provides the assist for Andrés Perea’s goal vs Red Bull New York | Courtesy MLS
It was just the second assist of Raul Gustavo’s career, but he looks natural when joining the attack. Could he prove to be a goal-scoring center back along the lines of Alex Callens, who had 5 goals in 2022? NYCFC’s center backs had seven goal contributions in league games in 2o25, the most since 2022 and the second-highest in the history of the club.
New York City FC | Goal Involvements from Center Backs*
| Year | Goals | Assists | G+A |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2 | 5 | 7 |
| 2024 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2023 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2022 | 6 | 3 | 9 |
| 2021 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2020 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 2019 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 2017 | 5 | 3 | 8 |
| 2016 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2015 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
* MLS regular season only
Five of those belong to Justin Haak, the midfielder-turned-defender who had one goal and four assists. One of those belongs to Thiago Martins, who scored his first regular goal for NYCFC since joining the club in 2022 — the Designated Player might be one of the best central defenders in the league, but with just one goal and one assist in four years, he doesn’t add much to the attack.
And one belongs to Raul Gustavo, who was one of just 12 NYCFC players to provide an assist in the regular season. Other players with one assist in league games include Alonso Martínez, Nico Fernández Mercau, and Perea. Could Raul Gustavo start scoring? He looked hungry for a goal in his 10 appearances in all comps this year, and he might just become that set-piece dangerman New York City were missing this year. Fully eight of the club’s 12 losses in league this year were by one goal, and another six-goal season from the backline could make a significant impact for a team that struggled to score in 2025.
A back three in 2026?
There is no question that Raul Gustavo will be an everyday player in 2026. Setting aside the lack of clarity as to how the NYCFC defense will line up if the club re-signs Justin Haak (which the organization would be foolish not to do), Raul Gustavo will have a full preseason to create on-field chemistry with the rest of the defense.
When he does, we hopefully will see more of the Raul Gustavo that was so impressive against Philadelphia in the Eastern Conference Semifinal, or against Red Bull in New Jersey, or in the 1-0 win over Charlotte FC at Yankee Stadium in early September. And we’ll see less of the Raul Gustavo that was outplayed by Philadelphia in October, or in the Decision Day loss to Seattle Sounders at Citi Field, or in the Eastern Conference Final against Inter Miami. If that proves to be the case, he should have no trouble getting a better grade in 2026.
One of the most promising things I noticed with Gustavo was when shortly after he arrived, when another player had scored, he ran to the sideline and celebrated with Gustavo. It indicated to me that he had quickly fit in with the locker room and could build the relationships that help a player succeed.