Last night, New York City FC’s season ended.
While there’s plenty of time for the fans to grieve, cope, and heal, the club can afford no such luxuries in the days following the end of the season: There are important roster decisions to make.
Aside from the players who’ll heat the transfer stove come January, NYCFC has two players out of contract completely, and ten others who are in contract option years, meaning NYCFC will have to decide if they’ll pick up a player's option and keep them around on their current deal, or if they’ll be packing their bags for new clubs next season.
To make matters even more juicy, it’s not entirely clear who’s making these decisions for NYCFC, with former Sporting Director David Lee stepping down in October, and with the club yet to announce an interim or newly-appointed candidate to replace him. Hudson River Blue reached out to NYCFC for comment on this matter and has not yet heard back.
But someone will have to be submitting such roster decisions to the league office, and needs to be handling contract negotiations with players entering free agency. Whoever this mystery Sporting Director may be, they will have plenty on their plate in the coming weeks.
Andrew Leigh
Oliver Strand
Oliver Strand
NYCFC players out of contract
1) Justin Haak
Haak’s contract situation should be a primary concern for fans, with his deal expiring at the end of this season. Coming off a career year, Haak has established himself as a key cog in Jansen's defensive machine that boasted the third-best defense in the Eastern Conference, and led NYCFC through a stellar run of defensive form in the postseason. The 24-year-old started games at center back, holding midfield, and even in a unique hybrid role of the two, often slotting into the middle of a back-five out of possession, and pushing up into the midfield in possession.
Haak’s five goal involvements in MLS play last season put him above Nico Fernández Mercau and Andrés Perea in NYCFC’s stat columns, and saw him finish level with Agustín Ojeda. His versatility has been his secret weapon.
His rise into his current role is worth noting, too. Coming out of NYCFC’s academy as the club’s third-ever homegrown signing, the Brooklyn native worked his way from a youth standout to a senior player, then again from an occasional contributor to an undroppable starter. That sort of journey from a player born within the city limits of the team he represents brings a vital degree of club DNA that cannot be purchased.
Recently, Haak has been vocal about his contract situation, claiming Lee told him that he was “not a 34-game starter” before the start of this season. Earlier negotiations between Lee and Haak’s camp are rumored to have gone poorly, with Haak walking away from the table entirely after feeling low-balled by a new offer. In a recent interview with the New York Post, however, Haak noted that his contract talks with NYCFC had resumed and were improving, despite a growing list of MLS and English Championship sides expressing interest in his services.
