It's an episode of comings and goings as the New York City FC preseason gets started.
Episode 72 starts with a discussion of legendary midfielder Maxi Moralez coming back for another season in 2026, still going strong as he nears his 39th birthday. Was it the right move to bring back Moralez for another season, and can we expect him to still be as ever-present in 2026 as he was in 2025?
While Maxi will be there next season, it increasingly sounds like fullback Mitja Ilenič won't be with NYCFC much longer, as the 21-year-old Slovenian was left off the club's traveling roster for preseason and is reportedly getting loaned out to a club in Poland. Hosts Mark Radigan and John Baney and producer Andrew Leigh wonder if Ilenič got enough opportunities during his time in New York, and wonder if a move to Raków Częstochowa, reportedly only a loan with an option to buy, is the right one.
Preseason is prime time for player rumors and the Ilenič chatter isn't the only transfer talk this episode, as we also cover a report that winger Julián Fernández is wanted on loan by São Paulo FC in Brazil. Do we buy this as a plausible move, and are we ready to give up on Julián after parts of three up-and-down seasons in New York?
We wrap up this week's show by talking through the highlights from NYCFC's traveling preseason roster, namely that prodigal son Talles Magno is back with the team and officially taking part in the 2026 preseason. For a second straight episode, we wonder: Will this Talles-NYCFC reunion actually stick, and might he contribute in MLS this season? We also each shout out NYCFC players we're excited to keep tabs on throughout this preseason, from an injured midfielder making his comeback to a promising teenaged striker possibly filling Alonso Martínez's shoes.
The full episode is embedded at the top of this post, or it can be found on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Bleav, or wherever you get podcasts.
