Yesterday, members of the New York City FC media cohort sat down with Sporting Director Todd Dunivant at team headquarters in Midtown Manhattan for his first in-person roundtable discussion since joining the club this offseason. Dunivant addressed a variety of subjects, including adding a No 9, possibly bringing in another winger, the squad's roster flexibility, adjusting to New York City, working with Pascal Jansen, and more.
The discussion with Dunivant followed a roundtable with club President and CEO Brad Sims – you can find that conversation here.
Note: The statements below were edited for length and clarity.
Q: How has the transition been? You're pretty early on, two months. This is the first big step you're taking since Sacramento, so how has that experience been, making the leap, and also these first few months, how you're settling in?
Todd Dunivant: It's exciting. I mean, honestly, just being preseason was really good, to be able to totally integrate in with the team, the staff, and get to know everybody. It's such an important part. The people part of this job is the most important part, in my estimation. So, getting to know everybody, and there's so many different stakeholders between your players, your staff, ownership at City Football Group, you know, the fans, the media.
All these things are just part of this job that I love and have been doing it, you know, both as a player and post-playing. So, I love it. But yeah, there's no question there's a transition period and getting up to speed with everything. There's obviously differences with how you do business in MLS than every other league in the world. I'm very familiar with that world, part of that construction process through the CBAs.
This league and this sport are pretty dear to my heart. So, being able to come back to New York and be part of the club at this moment, such an important moment for the club and city, I couldn't be more excited.
Q: Any unexpected surprises, joys, or frustrations?
Todd Dunivant: Oh, surprises every day. There's daily surprises, but that comes with the role when you're dealing, again, with people. There's life happens, things happen, and that's all part of it. I love so many different aspects, but the team aspect is what I enjoy the most. Being part of a bigger organization is something that I love.
I think it's something that, you know, to some might be scary or obtrusive, having a City Football Group, I see it at the complete opposite. Being involved now, going to Manchester, seeing how everything works at the highest level, just been blown away at the humility of folks over there, and in this building, in Orangeburg, I mean, people at the highest levels of the game could have an ego, could have a swagger that, you know, just doesn't exist here. And that's the culture that's been set. It's refreshing. It's great to be part of, and it makes you want to be better. And I think you've seen, too, the history of the club success year after year.
We want to strive to add more stars to our badge, but you see that kind of repeated success, and there's a reason for it. Now that I've been to Manchester, now that I've seen how things work within this organization, you see why there's been that repeated success.
Hudson River Blue Staff
Q: A question about making cultural adjustments, both professionally and personally. You're a West Coast person — do you have to make an adjustment, in terms of living in New York? Or is the business so international at this point that it's an easy change to make?
Todd Dunivant: I'm very fortunate that I did live in New York for a year as a player. Any sort of uncertainties or trepidations about coming to this city – it can be intimidating – I've gotten through that and love this city.
I love the subway, I love taking the bus, I love all the little elements that make New York, New York. I'm fortunate to have a wife that loves it here. My family, before this opportunity ever came up, we traveled here last summer just on a family vacation. My daughter was born in LA, she's 11 now, she was one when we moved, so doesn't remember a thing about it, but has LA in her heart and just, you know, all the teams are her team. We came to New York, and immediately, she was like, "LA, forget about that." Like, this is my city, absolutely fell in love with it. Just couldn't believe the vibrancy of it. It was just like it spoke to her soul, and that was cool. So giving her the news of, hey, guess what? We got to move. That's sad. I get that. But we're going to New York.
I mean, the excitement was palpable, and I think for us as a family, we're up for the adventure. My wife's up for the adventure, and I love the opportunity that exists here in New York. I love the challenge of being in the biggest market, the expectations that come with that. I lived in LA with the Galaxy, but that's New York. New York is the biggest and the best, and with our stadium, with our club, with City Football Group, these are all the best, and that's what I love. That's what I love being part of, and pushing things forward is something that we want to do. It's something that the club has long had aspirations, and that's soon to be realized here. We've already got one star on the crest, and we want to add another. So that's very exciting for us.
Hudson River Blue Staff
Q: The general consensus among MLS pundits is that NYCFC has a super competitive roster from top to bottom, but they're putting all their chips toward next season, for the stadium opening and whatnot. What do you say to comments like that?
Todd Dunivant: I don't know, sometimes when I hear that, I can agree, but also, I feel like we have a good roster now, but also, just making sure that when the stadium opens, that we have the most competitive roster to compete for next season, too.
A big part of my job is thinking about the now, but also the future. So we are obviously focused on Orlando and our home opener and what that means for things. We started the season well, but aren't going to rest on those laurels. And we're not under any illusions that our team is a finished product. It never is. We want to be better, and we know the areas we need to add. We know we need to add attacking help, and we've got to add the right guys. And so we're actively searching for that. We have been for some time. We've been close on different occasions, and we're going to have some money. There's no question about that. It could be tomorrow. It could be this summer.
But we're going to add the right help that we need for this team to give Pascal more tools, to give our team a better chance to win, and give a huge amount of credit to our group, to the mindset that they have of getting on with it and not using anything as an excuse, whether it's having a long 27 straight days leading into our opener against the Galaxy, whether it's the weather, whether it's, you name it. You can come up with 50 excuses every single time why you don't get the job done, but our group doesn't do that. And Nico Mercau is playing as Number 9. That's not his preferred position, but he's doing it for the team. Talles Magnos played as a 9, he's doing it for the team. You see guys over and over, Kevin O'Toole's played a lot of different positions.
Something that Pascal and me look for, is versatility within players, versatility within the team to be able to get the best out of our group, and I give a lot of credit to our guys for doing that. Our job is always to make the team better, and we're going to do that, but it's also to get the best out of the ingredients we have, and that's something that our coaching staff and our greater staff does a brilliant job of.
Q: Can you provide clarity on the Designated Player spots the team has available?
Todd Dunivant: Yeah, we do have flexibility to add a DP. Thiago [Martins] has the ability to kind of go either way. It doesn't affect him, these are all just MLS roster rules and machinations, if you will.
So we have the ability to add another DP. Talles Magno's a DP, Nico Mercau's a DP, and Thiago has the ability. So we want to give ourselves the maximum flexibility to add a DP. And to do that, we want to make sure that we have the room to do it, and we do. So hopefully that answers your question.
Q: What's your general roster-building philosophy, what kind of players do you look for, what kind of environment are you building, and what are you bringing to New York City FC when it comes to that philosophy?
Todd Dunivant: The existing team we have is such a strong group. I think we talked a little bit about versatility and being important. You look at somebody like Alonso Martínez, who's out, who's a top No 9 in our league. We need to think about whoever we add, how do they coexist with Alonso when he returns and is healthy, and what do we need to do?
So we're not, you know, again, we want to help the team now, but we also need to look and fast-forward to when he returns, that we make sure that the roster is set up for that future-proof opportunity as well. So that's just something we have to kind of marry up and make sure that we're thinking about. There's opportunities within the league. There's opportunities, you know, outside of the league. We've got another three-plus weeks before the window closes. So we've got kind of maximum options, including potentially DP. So whether we want to do it now or in the future, you know, we're analyzing all of that.
I think that from a roster-building standpoint, we want characters that match up to the values of our club and City Football Group. Nobody has a more defined identity than New York City FC and City Football Group. So I think for us, getting players that not only help us on the field, but also have the right characteristics in our locker room that help us win. And that could be, it doesn't mean it's all nice guys. Sometimes you need some chips on the shoulder. You need guys who are ready to prove something. I think that, as a club, we still feel like we have something to prove. We still feel like there's doubters out there. There's people who question this, that, or the other about the club. I think that's the stuff that fuels you, that makes you want to win, that makes you want to prove everybody wrong and ultimately gets you to where you need to get. You need some of that extra, extra incentive, extra belief to push you forward.
Q: The striker position is the one that's the glaring spot on the roster there that you're addressing. Is the club actively talking to players now to add someone in this window these three weeks? If so, can you give us some insight into that profile that you're looking for?
Todd Dunivant: Yeah, we're looking at that now and we hope to. Ultimately, we're not going to force it and make a bad decision. At the same time, we want to add to the team now. We've been actively looking in the market and have a list of names that we're working through. I think from our profile, Alonso brought so much verticality to our team and ability to get behind defenses that you're going to miss. Somebody that can do that is helpful. We also, just from a team structure standpoint, not having a 9 shows up. Again, we can make it work, but it's not ideal. So I think having somebody come in that is a true No 9, or has the ability to play there, is what we're thinking about.
We also feel like we could add another another winger, as well. We loaned out Julian Fernández to Rosario in Argentina, found an opportunity for him that we thought he would really thrive in. He's going into Argentina and sort of stepping in next to Angel Di Maria. You know, childhood dream for him, but also he's elevated his game to another level, and that's good for us and good for the club. But it's a good player that's out of our team that we want to replace. So I think that's another area, we've got two spots that we're really trying to look at.
Q: In 2023 and 2024, it looked like team embraced the U-22 model, investing in and bringing in talented younger players. It looks like the club stepped away from that, and is now bringing in players in their prime. What can we expect looking ahead to this year and in the coming years? Is this a team now in the market for prime players? Or are you still looking to go and bring in that raw 19-year-old, 18-year-old?
Todd Dunivant: Yeah, we're open to all of the above, I think, is the clear answer. It's not, "Hey, we're going to forget about this bucket of players," or "We're going to forget about that." You're right, there was, and I can't go back in time to, you know, what philosophies were in the past.
I think what we are looking to do, no question, you've already seen multiple Homegrown players play for us this year. Drew Baiera has made contributions, you know, significant contributions in both games. Seymour Reid came on, you know, we have other Homegrowns in the team. That's, we feel like a big strength of our club and of this area, being part of the New York talent pool is a huge advantage for us. So we want to make sure that our Academy continues to produce players and see that all the way through the whole system. I think we're very lucky with that. Teams would die to have the area that we have to choose from for our players. It's also, who else are we adding on the team?
When we look at our situation now, I think we have maximum flexibility. When you look at adding a striker, it could be a player on loan, you know, until Alonso comes back, it could be a permanent player. That's somebody who we think can ultimately coexist with Alonso. So there is a good opportunity here to look at all options. We think having that maximum flexibility is ultimately going to give us the best outcome.
Q: Do you feel any pressure to add a marquee name, like Messi, Müller, Son, especially with the opening of the stadium, to have a marquee name to match the stadium opening?
Todd Dunivant: No, I don't feel pressure, but we talk about it all the time. We talk about it with the group, we talk about it as a club, what makes sense for us. We are 100% open to that. I think, you know, the right player, the right situation, we're absolutely open to it. We think it's got to be somebody who's the right fit and the right profile.
There's no question that those are conversations that are happening every single week, on who that could be, and when. Because, no question, we don't have to wait until the stadium opens. We can do that sooner as well, if we find the right guy.
Q: First impression was that you were willing to fly in early to try to negotiate with Justin Haak, a player who left on a free who was highly valuable to the team last season. Tayvon Gray recently said he has not talked to the front office about a possible extension and his contract ends this season. Is your willingness to negotiate with Justin a symbol that you would be willing to really go to bat for these players? Does that kind of inform how you approach, and is that something we're going to see?
Todd Dunivant: Every player's a little different, right? Every situation's a little bit different.
Justin's ambitions ultimately meant that he, you know, decided that it was best for him to leave. And, you know, we're not going to begrudge him that. He was part of this club for a long time, but his time ultimately felt like was up here. We certainly felt like we did everything we could and gave every opportunity for him to come back, and ultimately he wanted to make that move. That's certainly something we're not going to begrudge.
Whenever the player is on our roster, we are absolutely in contact with in terms of what the plan is for them and who we want to bring back and when we want to begin those conversations. So, that's a never-ending job, and that's sort of Roster Building 101. I think Tayvon's another guy who's been part of this club for so long, part of that championship team, and part of the club's history. He's an important one, and there's others that we're looking to retain, as well.
Q: Mitja Ilenič: Anything you could share on the loan, maybe he was looking for an opportunity closer to home?
Todd Dunivant: It was multiple factors to it. Mitja was absolutely open to going back to Europe, and we also felt like Drew Baiera coming through was somebody who was ready to take that next step up, and he's played in the first two matches. You see that progression and that pathway, it made a lot of sense for Mitja, but also for the club. Opened up a pathway now for Drew. First game he comes in at right-back for Tayvon, second game, he's ahead of Tayvon, higher up the field.
Drew is fast, and has scary speed, and is somebody who's going to surprise a lot of people with what he can do. We've seen it now, and he's gotten on the field in the first two games, and has not looked out of place in the slightest. In fact, he looked very comfortable, and looked very dangerous. So, that's all part of the thought process with Mitja, and I think, you know, ultimately it was a win-win on all sides.
Q: How important is your job to strengthen the Academy, and that connection, and really bring those players into the First Team?
Todd Dunivant: "It's important. My first official day in the club was January 5th, and on the evening of January 5th, we had an event with our entire Academy, our players, our players' families, that we spoke to.
Brad, myself, our new Academy Director Robin Nicholls, David Howarth, Sam Pugsley, we all went down and spoke on Day One. It was intentional, because we want to show that faith in the Academy, the importance of the Academy, and how much it means to us as a club, and how, you know, that pathway needs to be stronger than ever, because we do believe in it that much.
We've seen the success. We have Homegrowns backing up Homegrowns, that's an awesome story. The fact that we had three, you know, three Homegrowns starting against Inter Miami in the Conference Final tells you everything you need to know about the pathway in this club. You're a player in this area. You've got the world at your feet. And obviously, you know, not just New York City, but also City Football Group. So it's a pretty intriguing thing for any family, any player, to be part of that."
Q: On some of the injuries that the team has had. Can you give us an update onpotential return timetables for the three current long-term injured players, Andrés Perea, Malachi Jones, and Alonso Martínez, and specifically Malachi Jones?
Todd Dunivant: Malachi started off preseason so well. I think he's obviously coming off a couple of long-term, very long-term injuries. It was pretty unique for me to see because I wasn't part of that, but just seeing how much everybody was rooting for him in preseason, seeing how well he did in the first week in Tampa, and then, you know, gutted for him that he picked up another injury.
We've supported Malachi for a long time. I think you are not going to meet a better human being, a more energetic, lively person. Malachi has such a bright future on every level, and we're proud that he's part of our club. So we're hopeful that he's back soon. I don't have a timetable on him, but he's somebody that we've invested a long time in and will continue to because he is so talented. He is such a good person for our team and our locker room that we want to get him back in the fold. We talk about wingers. It would be nice to have Malachi right now.
The other two that you mentioned, Perea and Alonso, they both have been doing their rehab, their longer-term injuries. ACLs, you know, with Martínez, those we have to be smart with and careful with, but his treatment has gone really well. He's continuing to progress, and we're expecting him back this year towards the back end of the year, but we're also expecting him back. So if he can beat timelines, we're happy with that.
We're certainly expecting Pepe a little bit sooner than that in the next couple of months. I don't have, again, exact timelines, but he's not back in full training yet, but we're continuing to get good reports on his treatment, his rehab, and his attitude, frankly. You know, really all three of those guys have had great attitudes in terms of their rehab. You don't always get that, but they have been on the ball with everything, you know, doing what's asked of them and really making sure that they're getting back in as quick a fashion as they can.
Q: Follow-up on Malachi, you mentioned a new injury. Is it associated with the broken leg, or is it something different than that?
Todd Dunivant: No, no, it's not anything to do with a broken leg. Yeah, it's muscular.
Q: Talles Magno, under a previous manager and a previous director of football, he was sent on loan, and now he's back with a new coach and a new director of football. Wondering what your thoughts were with him coming in, a lot of salary, and it's a DP space, which is valuable for a player that was previously sent on loan. Wondering what your thought process was around this and Pascal's as well?
Todd Dunivant: Talles coming back, it was a fresh start for him because, to your point, new coach, new sporting director, and his attitude has been phenomenal since day one. He's showed a willingness to do whatever it takes for the team. We've talked about versatility being important in our players, and Talles has that.
He has the ability to play the 9, I know he did it when he was here the first time around. I know he's played winger, he's played 10, he's played different positions. What's been asked of him by Pascal, he's done, and he's showed a coach-ability. He picked up a little injury towards the middle of preseason that put his fitness back a little bit, but he comes on against Philadelphia and makes a big difference for us. He's part of that goal, and he draws a foul at the end and does a couple of little things that help us win that game.
So I'm really happy with his attitude and what he's done in this first bit, and now we've got to get his fitness up and ramp him up to continue to get more and more out of Talles, which, he's got a ton of talent. I think his eagerness to help the team is what has impressed both myself and Pascal.
Q: What about Maxi Moralez, 39, now played every game except for the US Open Cup last year, and that was because of red card suspension. Is there a plan to bring in some kind of an understudy or a replacement that he can mentor, or is the expectation that he once again fills the No 10 role for the bulk of the season?
Todd Dunivant: Good question. I think it's hard to predict a full season, but having Maxi and re-signing him was a pretty easy one. He starts the season the same way he finished it, on the field and helping our team get points. Maxi's been a pillar of this club and has been tremendous. We have Nico Mercau, who's an incredible No 10. We have Máxi Carrizo, who can play there. We have several players that can come through, so we have no shortage of depth at the 10 role.
Having Maxi gives a level of comfort, a level of quality on the field that I think just helps our team in a big way. How he does it, I don't know. He defies time, but I think Pascal has shown openness. It doesn't matter how old you are on either end of the spectrum. Whether you're 38 or whether you're 16, 17, if you're going to help the team win, he's going to put you on the field.
Q: How is your relationship with Pascal as a coach? How do you guys work together? What do you think some of the strengths are?
Todd Dunivant: Pascal, I've been so impressed with the mindset that he brings to the group. I think his willingness to engage with the players, not just on the field, but off the field, and have conversations, pull people aside, have private conversations. That small level of communication goes such a long way in a player's mind and in their attitude. You're not going to be able to put 30 players on the field for a game, so how do you manage the other 19 when they're not? Pascal does a great job of that. His ability to connect with players, to give them the honest truth of why they're not playing, how they get on the field. I think he's earned that credibility within the team, too, to understand that not every game is the same.
One game, it might make sense to start Kai Trewin in the center of the midfield, and another game, it's Keaton Parks. He's got reasons for that, and he explains that to the players, and they understand it. I think that level of communication is really important.
For us, our relationship, again, this preseason was really important to establish, not just professionally, but also beyond that. We had many opportunities to go out to dinners, go out to events, and do things. That was really good, I think, just to get to know each other on that level. Pascal and I are on the same page with where this club needs to go, and ultimately, how we get it there is something that we're looking forward to. I think more than once, he said, 'You ask a lot of questions,' but I think it was a compliment.
