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New York City FC's tenth season is less than a week away, and everyone is ready for the upcoming campaign. While concerns remain for the team, there is some hope that the new year will be better compared to 2023.
There is some news to cover before the first game of the Major League Soccer season. Here is the latest NYCFC news roundup.
NYCFC news roundup: Joe Tolleson returns, the preseason, and more
Joe Tolleson is back!
NYCFC fans loved the partnership between Ian Joy and Joe Tolleson when most MLS games were seen on YES. With the entire league moving to Apple TV last year, the two were missed during the matches.
Thankfully, Tolleson is back. It was announced the play-by-play announcer will be joining the MLS Season Pass for the 2024 season. This does not guarantee he will cover the majority of the Pigeons' matches, but there is hope he will cover many. This is great news since many are not thrilled with the Season Pass, especially the coverage of the Bronx side.
Tolleson will join Nate Bukaty and Neil Sika as the newest English play-by-play announcers. Congratulations are in order for the former YES Network man.
NYCFC lost in the final preseason match
On Saturday, NYCFC played Austin FC in a friendly that was behind closed doors. It was the final preseason match, and the Pigeons did not release too much information. Thankfully, the Texas side provided more details on X.
The teams played the original 90 minutes, where the Bronx side fell 3-2. Then, they played an extra 30 minutes, which saw the friendly end in a draw. Of course, the preseason will be based on the 90 minutes of play, so the loss means NYCFC ended the preseason 0-3-3.
John Denis of NYCFC II needs help
NYCFC II player John Denis unfortunately needs help. He was recently diagnosed with cancer and subsequently set up a GoFundMe. Per the fundraiser, the player has Primary Mediastinal Large B-cell Lymphoma. He needs help with the medical bills and has a goal set for $125,000. So far, a little over $71,000 was raised.
While Denis plays for the MLS Next Pro side, it is a little shocking he must ask for help to pay for treatments. Is there no health insurance available? If that is the case, then it would make sense. At the same time, the club has the money and ability to help via City Football Group. Why will they not help him?
Regardless of the reason, many current and former NYCFC players have donated to the fundraiser. They include, but are not limited to, Kevin O'Toole, Gabriel Segal, Luis Barraza, and former academy player Gio Reyna. It is nice to see so many helping Denis. Yet, it is concerning that the league or City Football Group is likely not assisting him with treatment coverage.