NYCFC news roundup: Santiago Rodríguez visits, Matt Freese in the Gold Cup, and more | OneFootball

New York City FC has begun their busy summer of soccer after they beat Toronto FC 3-1 on Thursday. The Boys in Blue will now go on a four-game road trip, which will be a critical time in their 2025 Major League Soccer season.

Meanwhile, there are some other stories to cover regarding multiple players. So, without further ado, here is the latest NYCFC news roundup.

Jovan Mijatović's new loan

Undoubtedly, NYCFC fans knew that the club would send Jovan Mijatović back out on loan. The question was where he would go. Would he get another shot with Oud-Heverlee Leuven? He was injured for a good portion of the loan deal.

Thankfully, that question was answered. The Serbian is heading back out on loan with the Belgian club, and it will be for the entirety of the 2025-2026 season. This is better for him and NYCFC, for he would not start here at this time. Plus, Mijatović has not regained the talented form that he had prior to joining the Pigeons. Perhaps, the upcoming season will allow him to find himself again.

Santiago Rodríguez visited NYCFC

Former NYCFC player and fan favorite Santiago Rodríguez returned to the club to visit both during training and during the latest match. The midfielder just completed the Club World Cup run with Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas and had some time before he had to return to Brazil.

He first stopped by training and watched his former teammates train, and was able to hang out with them. This shows how he has so much love and respect for his former team and truly will be an NYCFC player for life.

Rodríguez also got to witness the Pigeons continue their dominant form over Toronto in what was an entertaining match. It would have been better if he had never left and was on the pitch instead, but at the very least, it was nice to see him around the team again.

Matt Freese and the USMNT's chase for glory

Matt Freese and the USMNT beat Guatemala in the CONCACAF Gold Cup semifinals to move on to the finals. The Stars and Stripes will take on their main rival, Mexico, in the championship game.

This will likely be the most difficult battle for them in the Gold Cup. There will also be pressure on Freese to have his best performance. He is trying to make a name for himself to be a part of the goalkeeper coalition in the future, and perhaps prove he should be a starter for the USMNT.

The NYCFC goalkeeper still has more to prove. Hopefully, he can lead the team to a win on Sunday.