NYCFC ends the streak, Luighi looks legit, all eyes turn to the derby

Finally, there's a new episode of this podcast that starts off with a discussion of a New York City FC win.

A winless streak reached its final stop in Utah thanks to a set-piece wonderstrike from Nico Fernández Mercau and another goal from striker loanee Luighi, who might be playing his way into must-buy territory.

Hosts Mark Radigan and John Baney and producer Andrew Leigh also spend time on the important subplot from the 2-0 win over Real Salt Lake: the return of Alonso Martínez. There's reaction to the basics of his return, but there's also some speculation about what happens for NYCFC at center-forward once Martínez is 90-minutes fit, and as Luighi continues to impress.

Be warned, the show isn't all sunshine, as there's also a revisiting of the heartbreaker of a 2-1 loss at home to New England that immediately preceded the win over RSL. There are questions asked about some lineup choices made, the marking on Dániel Gazdag as he scored his 93rd-minute winner, and the team's consistent inability to get wins at home and to avoid conceding goals in stoppage time.

Before diving into a preview of the 35th Hudson River Derby, there's a brief New York City FC II interlude, given MLS Next Pro is hitting its Decision Day, and given that the IIs just won their own version of the Hudson River Derby and are pushing to clinch a playoff spot, while also signing new players — defender Gabriel Mendonça — and while seeing high-level executive appointments made for the next iteration of NYCFC II, with New Jersey MLS Next Pro naming its first club president ahead of NYCFC II's relocation to Middlesex County, New Jersey in July 2027.

Speaking of New Jersey, the episode rounds out with a nice Hudson River Derby preview before the Red Bulls from Harrison cross the river to play NYCFC at Yankee Stadium for the first time since 2023, and what might be the last time ever, pending location of any of these derby matches played during the 2027 MLS sprint season.

Red Bull was just stuck in a winless streak of its own, has conceded a ton of goals this season, but only two points separate RBNY from NYCFC, with a playoff spot and playoff positioning very much at stake in this latest rivalry match. All that means you should expect a hectic pace of play, a lively atmosphere, and multiple goals in a rare Friday night edition of the derby.

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