Pascal Jansen should rest Maxi Moralez more often for NYCFC | OneFootball

Maxi Moralez is a New York City FC fan favorite, and rightfully so. The midfielder has written himself into the team’s history since he arrived in 2017. He has scored vital goals and has been the creative playmaker for many years. The Argentine has had brilliant individual seasons, like 2019, where he had 20 assists, helping lead the team to a first-place finish in the Eastern Conference. Of course, he was a major part of the 2021 MLS Cup Championship.

As good as Moralez has been for NYCFC, this season has seen a major drop-off in his production. After a superb 2024, many thought he would still give more to the club this season. Yet, he has just one assist and one goal to his name. This subsequently leads to an important question: Is Pascal Jansen managing Moralez well?

The player has played about 1145 minutes thus far this season. At 38 years old, one should assume a little less playing time would be better for him. Yet, the head coach keeps putting him out in the Starting XI.

NYCFC’s Maxi Moralez deserves some rest

In some ways, it is understandable. Due to Santiago Rodríguez’s departure, there is nobody else who can play the attacking midfielder role like Moralez. The NYCFC legend may have only one goal and one assist, but he is still critical to the team’s flow in the midfield. His passing, although arguably not as good as in previous years, is still strong. He has about an 82% accuracy, which is close to his 2024 percentage. Out of those who have played ten matches or more, it is not too far behind leader Jonathan Shore’s 86%.

Moralez is also a long-time veteran, which makes him valuable in guiding and mentoring his younger teammates. He understands what is expected as a player for NYCFC. This alone was a big enough reason for him to return in 2025.

Still, would Moralez benefit from time off? Should Jansen take him out around 60 to 70 minutes to ensure he is not playing the full 90 minutes every single game?  Should he not play in some matches?

Rest can help older players and is often needed. More importantly, it is not like he has a few goals and multiple assists already this year. Moreover, while his passing accuracy has not really deviated from his average, it feels like he is not creating as many scoring chances. It must be said, though, that players are struggling to capitalize on chances, for NYCFC only scored twice in their last five games in all competitions before the Hudson River Derby.

It was during that game against the New York Red Bulls when Moralez finally scored his first goal of 2025. The 2-0 win helped put the Boys in Blue into a playoff spot. Notably, the midfielder’s goal came after the D.C. United match. Jansen pulled the Argentine out at halftime, so perhaps playing fewer minutes in the other game helped him this past weekend.

Plus, it might benefit the team in the long run. Maybe it will be risky to take him or not start every match. However, the rest could lead him to be more productive and cause the Pigeons to win a few more games this year than they would.

At this rate, there are pros and cons to Moralez playing as much as he has, and continuing down that trend. Jansen must do what is best for NYCFC, but perhaps he has to sacrifice a little to earn some gains.