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John Baney

@thepigeonsnycfc

Guy who likes NYCFC ✍️ @hudsonriverblue.com ✍️ @theoutfield.nyc (like one time but I'm proud of it) 🎙️ @hrbpod.bsky.social 🎙️ Footy Banter ⚽️ Cosmopolitan Soccer League ⚽️ Dickinson College (#whyD3)

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Latest posts by John Baney @thepigeonsnycfc

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07.03.2026 02:25 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

They say MLS can’t compete with Europe’s elite but Miami has Inter’s name, Barcelona’s players, Real Madrid’s politics, PSG’s history and Man United’s dude in all those ads

06.03.2026 04:21 👍 211 🔁 31 💬 3 📌 3
Preview
Ian Joy on first New York City FC broadcast for Apple: 'A special moment' The longtime YES Network announcer discusses calling his first NYCFC match on Apple this weekend and gives his take on the current state of the New York City squad.

A familiar voice is back on NYCFC broadcasts for the first time since 2022 for the home opener, with Ian Joy on the Apple TV call

Spoke to Ian about returning to NYCFC commentary, the state of the current squad, and watching James Sands play at his former FC St. Pauli club

05.03.2026 20:59 👍 14 🔁 2 💬 0 📌 1
Preview
Brad Sims: 'We have budget for a significant investment in this window' The president and CEO of New York City FC on Etihad Park's much-anticipated debut, how transfer budgets and deals work inside City Football Group, and why he's so bullish on MLS flipping its calendar ...

This is an absolute must read for NYCFC fans. Brad Simms gets into pretty much everything with an unusual level of transparency for CFG's standards

www.hudsonriverblue.com/brad-sims-ny...

04.03.2026 00:15 👍 5 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0

Thiago Martin’s DP status is the main story here

Per @tombogert.bsky.social’s reporting at the time, Martin’s DP contract was to be bought down to accommodate Moussa Sylla … a transfer that ultimately fell through

Now, not only is Martins listed as a DP, he’s listed as ineligible to be bought down

28.02.2026 18:28 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Preview
New York City FC 2026 Roster Profile: 5 Takeaways New York City FC choose the Designated Player roster-building model for the first time now that all three DP slots are filled with active members of the squad.

The NYCFC Club Roster Profile is out and it’s got some interesting twists, with all 3 Designated Player spots filled, some notable TAM Players and non-TAM Players, and more

Takeaways from the roster situation at season’s start ⤵️

27.02.2026 18:19 👍 4 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0

Awesome read

27.02.2026 22:29 👍 3 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Preview
How Nico Fernández Mercau plays striker While he's currently Pascal Jansen's preferred option to fill in for the injured Alonso Martínez, Nico takes a very different approach to playing as New York City FC's center-forward.

Tried to dive into how NYCFC operates when Nico Fernández Mercau, very much not a striker, lines up at striker

Heat maps, dribbling maps, some comps to the player he’s replacing: All in here as I attempt to make sense of the team’s striker-free approach to start this season

27.02.2026 20:09 👍 4 🔁 2 💬 1 📌 0
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Just incredible what happens when you make things cheaper / more accessible isn’t it?

26.02.2026 20:36 👍 30 🔁 4 💬 0 📌 2
Preview
MLS pundits predict 2026 MLS season Get the lamination machine ready: Three Pundits pick New York City FC to be a Top 4 team in 2026 — and another seven pick the club to miss the playoffs entirely.

Get the lamination machine ready: Three Pundits pick New York City FC to be a Top 4 team in 2026 — and another seven pick the club to miss the playoffs entirely

More here ⬇️

26.02.2026 12:55 👍 4 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0

That sporting KC depth chart doesn’t exactly make me miss David Lee too much here in NYC …

25.02.2026 18:24 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Pascal Jansen defines success for #NYCFC in 2026 as “improving on last season”, and suggested that the failed signing of Moussa Sylla doesn’t change that goal

20.02.2026 22:44 👍 1 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0

Some clarity on Talles Magno from Pascal Jansen:

Fitness was a concern for Talles upon his return to NYCFC, and he had a minor issue with his calf after the Austin game. His calf slowed his ability to ramp his fitness up to match level

He’s back in training now but “needs time”

20.02.2026 22:42 👍 3 🔁 2 💬 0 📌 0
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Following MLS is harder than it should be, so I made an automated daily newsletter that rounds up high-quality coverage from around the league.

I'll tell you all about it tomorrow but you can sign up in advance here: tally.so/r/eq6DQx

19.02.2026 17:07 👍 251 🔁 61 💬 9 📌 31

Hell. Yeah.

17.02.2026 14:47 👍 3 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Preview
HRB Roundtable: Are New York City FC ready for the 2026 season? Can Pascal Jansen rely on New York City FC's midfield and defensive spine to get the season off to a strong start despite missing a striker?

What our writers think of @newyorkcityfc.com heading into the 2026 season: Strengths, weaknesses, players we’re excited to watch, vibes, it’s all covered

Roundtable ft. @thepigeonsnycfc.bsky.social, @andrewkleigh.bsky.social, @matthewmangam.bsky.social, @markradigan.bsky.social, @raf.bsky.social ⬇️

16.02.2026 16:45 👍 6 🔁 2 💬 1 📌 0

Pascal Jansen behavior

14.02.2026 21:25 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Pascal Jansen just does really cool stuff

For each corner they defended so far in their Coachella match vs San Jose, they’ve been pushing 4 or 5 bodies up to midfield so the attacking team can’t flood the box

Chelsea notably tried this earlier this year to counter Arsenal’s set piece dominance

14.02.2026 21:23 👍 5 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
Preview
Pascal Jansen: Talles Magno sidelined with preseason injury The NYCFC coach says Talles Magno won't rejoin team training sessions for one or two more weeks, though injury updates were more positive for midfielders Aiden O'Neill and Jonny Shore.

According to Pascal Jansen, Talles Magno won’t return to team training for 1-2 more weeks & the team isn’t close to signing a new striker in the wake of the failed Moussa Sylla transfer

More updates from Jansen here on Kai Trewin, Aiden O’Neill, Jonny Shore, and Nico playing as a “No 9.5”

14.02.2026 15:19 👍 6 🔁 2 💬 0 📌 0

Had a great time hopping on @soccerwisehq.bsky.social with @empiregass.bsky.social to chat NYCFC ahead of the 2026 season

The work Soccerwise and @kickbacksoccer.bsky.social are doing for soccer media in this country is truly vital, so to play even a small part in their coverage is a huge honor ✌️

13.02.2026 23:06 👍 16 🔁 6 💬 1 📌 0
2026 NYCFC Season Preview with Hudson River Blue
2026 NYCFC Season Preview with Hudson River Blue YouTube video by SoccerwiseHQ

2026 NYCFC season preview with @hudsonriverblue.com 🎧

John (@thepigeonsnycfc.bsky.social) of @hrbpod.bsky.social joins @empiregass.bsky.social to talk all things NYCFC and see where the season can take them.

📺: youtu.be/cNznUWureV4

13.02.2026 22:28 👍 15 🔁 6 💬 0 📌 1

🎙️ In today's pre-season press conference,
Pascal Jansen says more regular starters will be in the final match Sunday

Also:
-Aiden O'Neill has been a full practice participant for the last two days
-Johnny Shore is also very close
-Talles Magno is still building conditioning

13.02.2026 22:17 👍 3 🔁 2 💬 0 📌 0

🎙️ Pascal Jansen on time crunch regarding a potential new striker signing:

"I dont think its realistic to see the number 9 we're looking for to be on the pitch" against LA Galaxy

however "the search continues... we're still looking for the right number 9 to support this team"

13.02.2026 22:17 👍 6 🔁 2 💬 0 📌 0

Awesome stuff from Glenn here

It’s very interesting to see see Talles describe ~himself~ as a striker, saying he’d prefer the 9 over LW if he had to pick one position to focus on this season

The narrative has long been “Lee/Cushing ~made~ him a striker” back in his difficult season there in ‘23

12.02.2026 13:20 👍 2 🔁 1 💬 1 📌 0

Turns out the Cristian Espinoza fiasco was only the second biggest fumble of the MLS offseason

11.02.2026 18:55 👍 23 🔁 3 💬 1 📌 0

Massive signing for @kickbacksoccer.bsky.social , massive fumble for @mls.bsky.social

11.02.2026 18:54 👍 4 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 1

I don't know who's in charge of MLS media but I do know that I wouldn't hire them to run a lemonade stand. I don't think I've ever seen an organization with less of an idea of what they have that is valuable and isn't. It's more than penny pinching, it's incompetence.

11.02.2026 18:05 👍 30 🔁 6 💬 1 📌 0
Preview
MLS Announces Plan To Replace Matt Doyle With AI Chatbot Of Simon Borg That Will Cover Polymarket Parlays — The Nutmeg News Major League Soccer (MLS) announced their plan, today, to replace Matt “Armchair Analyst” Doyle with an AI chatbot of Simon Borg that will exclusively cover Polymarket Parlays.

MLS Announces Plan To Replace Matt Doyle With AI Chatbot Of Simon Borg That Will Cover Polymarket Parlays

www.thenutmegnews.com/current/2026...

11.02.2026 18:50 👍 136 🔁 32 💬 2 📌 8

Cutting the best writer and analyst from their website not long after they did the same to their long-running fantasy game: why does MLS so badly want to kill its own website, and what will they think of next in their endless quest to piss off and alienate the most engaged of their fans?

11.02.2026 18:36 👍 8 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
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Fifteen years ago, I got my dream job writing for MLSsoccer. Last week, that came to an end.

I'm off on my own, and it's time to build something new – with a little help from all of you.
tacticsfreezone.ghost.io/an-end-to-my...

11.02.2026 17:57 👍 843 🔁 136 💬 103 📌 127