NYCFC on loan: Checking in on Nicolás Acevedo again

New York City FC made many roster decisions before and during the 2023 season.  Some of the departures were expected.  Other moves were shocking and did not make sense.  One surprise move by the Pigeons was the loan deal for Nicolás Acevedo. 

Last December, NYCFC announced Acevedo was going out on loan.  He joined Esporte Clube Bahia in Brazil, and the loan will last until the end of 2023.  The club recently became a part of City Football Group, so it is assumed that was a part of why the midfielder went out on loan.  It was not official then, but CFG completed its purchase in May.

Nonetheless, Acevedo’s loan deal was going well earlier in the season.  He was playing in the majority of games and earned over 1,600 minutes of playing time.  With Brazil’s high number of matches due to tournaments, it was expected the Uruguayan would continue to play a lot.

But how is the 24-year-old doing?  It has been a little mixed this year.  Acevedo started the season where he started in many of the tournament games.  But in Série A, he has played in 24 games and started about 45% of them.  Recently, he started in the 1-0 loss against Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras.  His contribution was a red card at the end of the fixture.

NYCFC player Nicolás Acevedo is having some success on loan

In total, the NYCFC loaned player has played in 47 matches.  35 of those have been starts.  Again, Brazil has numerous games throughout the year, so it can be argued that rotation might be the reason why he has not started many league fixtures.  At the same time, questions can arise on whether he is good enough to start every game for Bahia.

In addition, Acevedo has not scored any goals, which is somewhat acceptable since he is predominantly a defensive midfielder.  He has two assists on the year though, which is one more than his Major League Soccer total with NYCFC.

Meanwhile, after starting his time in Bahia as a central midfielder, he has returned to playing the majority of the fixtures as a defensive midfielder.  This is where he does his best work.

Like NYCFC, Bahia is not doing too well in Série A.  At this time, they sit in 15th place.  Notably, they were in the division below the previous year.  As such, the question must be asked again: Is there a reason why Acevedo does not start in most of the league games?  Or is the reason due to rotation?

There are still eight league games remaining, and the midfielder has two more months left on his lean.  Will he return to New York City FC in 2024?  Truthfully, the club could really use him.  The likelihood is slim, and it would not be shocking if Acevedo permanently moves to Brazil. However, if Bahia does not see him as an everyday starter, then the Pigeons should look into bringing him home.