NYCFC’s 2026 attack never found its rhythm, and the club missed the playoffs as a result. If 2027 is going to be different, much of the improvement has to come from two players: Agustín Ojeda and Bénie Traoré. Both are young, both are talented, and both are expected to take a big step forward.
Bénie Traoré: the new Designated Player
NYCFC signed Traoré from Swiss club FC Basel in June 2026 as a Designated Player, one of the three roster spots MLS reserves for a club’s biggest investments. The Ivorian forward arrived midseason and had to settle in quickly on a team already struggling, but showed flashes, including a late goal that briefly kept NYCFC’s playoff hopes alive.
A full preseason should help. Traoré is quick, direct and comfortable running at defenders, exactly what a stagnant attack needs. The question is consistency: Designated Players are judged on goals and assists, and the club will expect a lot more over a full season.
Agustín Ojeda: ready for more
Ojeda is one of the young attackers NYCFC is building around. He’s creative, works in tight spaces and links play, but in 2026 he couldn’t turn that into regular end product on a team short of rhythm and healthy bodies. Like Traoré, he needs a clear role and a coach who gives him one.
Why they matter so much
- The offense needs a spark: NYCFC scored too few goals for a playoff team in 2026.
- A new coach is coming: after Pascal Jansen’s departure, the next coach’s first decisions will show how central these two are.
- No time to wait: in a 14-game Sprint Season, a young player can’t take two months to find form.
- Etihad Park: the club wants exciting young attackers to sell the new stadium in July.
What a breakout would look like
- Traoré becoming a reliable double-digit scorer over a full season
- Ojeda becoming the creative hub in the final third
- The two linking up regularly, instead of trying to create everything alone
Our take
NYCFC doesn’t need either player to become a superstar overnight. It needs both to be dependable. If the new coach builds the attack around Traoré’s pace and Ojeda’s creativity, and sporting director Todd Dunivant adds a proven finisher next to them, NYCFC’s offense could look very different by the time Etihad Park opens.
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Header photo: Aude, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Sources: NYCFC: Bénie Traoré acquired as a Designated Player · MLSsoccer.com: Traoré keeps NYCFC alive · MLSsoccer.com: NYCFC part ways with Pascal Jansen
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