Onside: Major League Soccer (2025) s01e05 Episode Script

Who the best athlete
that play for a New York team,
no matter what profession it is,
baseball, basketball, soccer, no matter?
- I would say…
- All right say it, man.
- Derek Jeter.
- Nah.
You know… you know what,
to be frank, I like Jason Kidd.
- Jason Kidd?
- When he was at Knicks,
- he was extremely good.
- Yeah.
- What about Carmelo?
- Carmelo Anthony.
- Carmelo.
- That's a big one.
The man who changed American football,
- Lawrence Taylor.
- Okay. Good choice,
- good choice.
- Lawrence Taylor.
I hear Aaron Judge the most.
Like I said, I…
I don't follow baseball like that.
I'm all for soccer.
- No!
- You're crazy.
I only know Beckham from watching
the movie Bend It Like Beckham.
New York City.
The biggest sports market in the country.
But why is it not popping
when it comes to soccer in the city?
Let's go out there and show them
who New York belongs to.
New York City FC and Red Bull.
Both are trying to fight against
generations of history
in the other sports.
An absolute laser!
That's a very, very difficult task.
New Yorkers love a story.
A story that's reflective
of the grind and the hustle
and the energy
of the people of their city.
Both of these teams,
they're fighting, they're scrapping
so they can produce talent
that the fans can relate to.
That they can be inspired by to stand out
amongst all these sports in New York City.
How's it going, guys?
Hello, hello, hello.
My personality's in-your-face.
It's that Jersey stigma.
I am-I am a very nice guy, but, you know,
I get on the field, it's ready to go.
I'm John Tolkin, player
for the New York Red Bulls, defender.
And I'm a left back.
You talked to John Tolkin…
What a personality by the way.
That's John Tolkin! Goal!
I go by "JMi."
That's short for "John Michael."
I've had this nickname my whole life now.
It is a little bit of an alter ego.
Look good, feel good, play good.
I'm a big believer in that.
It's Tolkin!
Absolutely sublime!
John Tolkin, he's a pit bull out there.
The guy is a fierce competitor,
he's a tackler.
He's the kind of guy
that you hate playing against,
but you want him on your team.
JMi off the field,
he has that aura. That persona.
All the fans,
you can see all the kids love it.
Always wanting JMi's signature.
He's definitely a starboy for the club.
How's it going? Nice to meet you guys.
Nice to meet you, man.
You guys want a photo?
John Tolkin is definitely one of the
rising stars of the New York Red Bulls.
- What's up, dude? You good?
- Yeah.
Having fun? Photo?
Tolkin's relatable.
"He's one of us," they would say.
He came from here.
He used to be in the stands
watching this team.
He was in the academy,
and now he's in the first team.
- Holy shit. Nice hair, dude.
- Thank you.
That's crazy.
- I'm getting it cut this weekend.
- Why?
He really embodies what
New York/New Jersey a Red Bull is.
- Keep playing center back, bro.
- I will.
- None of that "too small" garbage.
- I know.
- I-I think I can do it.
- I got told that so many times.
- You did?
- Yeah.
I think it would be cool to be one of
those "soccer icons" New Jersey-guy.
Yeah, for sure.
- When there's a will, there's a way.
- Oh, yeah, man.
I want to try and change the way
New York thinks about soccer.
- There you go. Yeah, of course.
- Thank you.
I think anytime you have
an icon in sports,
there's more eyes,
there's more people in seats.
- There you go.
- Thank you.
More people interested.
Ready?
This game, this derby, it's a
huge game for us, for me personally.
Y'all, let's wrap it up.
There's nothing better
than painting the city red.
First ever meeting
between the New York Red Bulls
and New York City FC.
Twice a year, the Red Bulls
and NYCFC square off in a heated rivalry
known as the Hudson River Derby.
The New York Red Bulls,
the side that have had the edge
in this rivalry.
We own them. 15 wins, they have eight.
We have 45 goals, they have 25 goals.
That's not gonna change.
I think we're gonna stay dominant.
If Red Bull own us,
then they must own our star,
because that's
the only way they're gonna get one.
A breakthrough moment
for the boys from the Bronx.
A first ever major trophy.
I think there's
a natural disdain for one another.
There's a river that divides them.
And the line is clearly drawn,
and you know which side you're on.
We joke and our fans joke
that they're New Jersey's team.
Every other New York-based team
has the name New York.
But we're the only team
that's "New York City."
Rolled wide for Allen. First-time cross.
Good cross! Goal!
The beauty of a derby is…
It's an opportunity.
It's an opportunity to be
the hero of New York City.
And that's finished
by Bradley Wright-Phillips!
The opportunity to be a superstar.
The opportunity to be an icon,
to inspire the New York people.
There's no greater game
than the Red Bull derby.
And liftoff in the Hudson River Derby.
The derby, it's really
about the hometown heroes.
Who's gonna light up their city?
Is it red? Or is it blue?
Growing up in the Bronx was cool.
Definitely noisy.
A lot of stuff going on.
Like, I used to live over there
in Gun Hill.
The soccer field that I grew up playing at
is very close, five minutes.
Pretty much go to school, get home,
not even do my homework,
just go straight to the field.
Every day. Till the lights are,
like, just turned off.
Ah, it's open for us. That's perfect.
What up, what up, what up?
Good morning, bro.
I'm Tayvon Gray,
I'm 21 years old, and I play
for New York City Football Club.
April 24, 2021.
I've been at NYCFC since I was 17.
Another line-splitting pass for Gray.
And New York City are absolutely cruising.
Growing up in the Bronx gave me that fire.
Definitely tough,
got that spirit of the lion.
Tayvon Gray in behind. Tayvon Gray!
Okay, you ready? Off you go.
Come on!
One of the things I really enjoy
about being a head coach is
giving people the opportunity
to be the best version of themselves.
My name is Nick Cushing and I'm the
head coach of New York City Football Club.
Tayvon, when the lights come on,
he comes alive.
He is incredibly physical
in the way that he plays.
He doesn't fear anybody.
He is super strong.
Play for… three, four passes. Good.
- Yeah.
- Oh. Yeah.
Go.
In my opinion, he's one
of the best defenders in the league.
Develop the picture.
Keep the game compact.
Play!
I play as if this my last game.
I don't really like to leave
anything left in the tank.
Hey, Jimmy, Jimmy! Hey, hey.
I think Tayvon is
a success story for New York City.
A local boy that
the New York fans can relate to.
That can wear a championship ring
for his boyhood club.
Producing your own players
is the lifeblood
of any successful football team.
When the ball is this side, it's about
left-to-right, right-to-left.
Ball comes, Thiago steps,
Hannes inside from the corridor,
Tayvon ready.
Two ways that you're gonna get this run.
One: Mali starts to come half-half,
and this winger will attach with you,
he will come like this.
There are three things that define me.
It's faith, family, and football.
My name is Malachi Jones,
and I'm a left winger
for New York City Football Club.
And I'm playing my first year in the MLS.
When you look at his raw talent
that came out of college
and into the professional game,
his physical ability is excellent.
His speed is incredible.
What I saw about Malachi originally
was his hunger to just improve his game.
His ambition to wanna be successful.
His story is why he has
this hunger and belief,
and he has that in-in an abundance.
Yo, yes, Mali. Inside.
Yes, yes, inside, inside.
Should be a runner. Here you go. Good.
For me, I got to see some hardships that…
They just grow you
and create kinda this mental fortitude
that a lot of people
just don't get to experience.
I was born in… in Sierra Leone.
Then at the age of about six,
my dad passed away.
Me and my siblings were moved
to an orphanage.
What was tragic at that time
is part of my story now,
and I've learned to embrace it and seeing
the blessing that has come out of it.
In six months of being in that orphanage,
we met my parents.
They fell in love instantly,
decided to adopt eight kids.
It was crazy.
I'm Mike Jones, and we're here to meet,
Mom and our seven brothers and our sister,
coming in on the flight.
We landed in the States
and we're just greeted by so much love
and affection from our now-family.
This is nothing short of incredible.
I've endured hardship.
I lost my dad, I moved to a whole new
country, I learned a whole new language,
and you don't get through that
just by being mediocre.
You gotta strive for excellence
and you gotta persevere.
Good! Good, good.
So as a rookie, that's what I have to do.
I had to come in here
and outwork everybody,
earn my place on the team.
Good!
It's all about playing forwards
and having the discipline.
Leading up to the Red Bulls game,
I wanna get a shot at it
whether it was coming off the bench
or even being a starter.
- Oh, well done.
- It's open, Mali.
I have a lot to learn,
and I'm not afraid of work.
Just with life
and-and everything it's thrown at me,
I've always been someone
that will take it on headfirst,
and it's something
that I've carried into the MLS.
Legs!
Mali in for Ojeda?
Maybe at number 9?
And then Tayvon for Meecher.
They're the three that I'm considering.
Good rhythm. Good rhythm.
Really good. Really good.
We got the better of New York City, man.
Our record shows.
Last year, we tied away.
Then we won at home,
won at home, lost away…
The derby's always so exciting.
I also have some extra ammunition.
'Cause I know some guys in the team now
that I played against in the academy.
And, you know, they always one-upped us
when I was younger.
Your boy, Tayvon…
That's your boy, bro.
That's your homie.
Screw that guy.
I played with Tayvon
before I joined Red Bulls Academy
and I mean, we used to butt heads.
Tayvon played for Cedar Stars.
Did you ever play them?
- Mm-mmm.
- Bro.
I think I played each of them once.
Just fucking hooligans, bro. The whole
team, elbowing kids and just dirty stuff.
The worst. I think
the whole State of New Jersey hated them.
I mean, they would torment our team.
I hated playing them.
Yeah, we'll see who's under whose skin
this weekend.
You know, maybe he had me in the youth,
but it's different now.
Okay, e-everyone in. Anyone not in?
Okay, we're gonna go through Red Bull.
Don't be fooled.
Their intensity comes from counterattack.
So we made four changes to the team
to make sure that we get fresh legs in,
fresh minds and fucking real aggression.
That's derby, right?
It's at our home.
Reviewing for Red Bulls
and I see my name up on the screen.
And the first thought is,
"Wow, like, relax, relax, you know?
You're prepared for this."
This team has to be ready
and the bench has to be ready
to go get another win.
We get another win, we're in a great spot.
This is a moment
that I've been waiting for.
And I'm just ready
to take advantage of it.
This will be my first home start
for the club.
This will be my first time in a derby,
so there's a lot to soak in.
We dictate the intensity at home.
They don't dictate it.
When you pick a team for a game
that is really, really important,
a game against a local rival,
you pick players like Malachi Jones.
They have a mentality where they produce
in those big moments.
If we run around,
we will face counterattack
after counterattack after counterattack.
If we stay in position,
we create goal chances.
It's as simple as that in this game.
This clear?
Good. Let's go.
Just 'cause you're getting
the start doesn't mean anything.
It's a matter of going out there
and taking advantage of it.
Show them that their belief in you
isn't in vain.
This pocket is yours.
I want him here and I want you here.
And I want him finishing here.
- And I want you finishing here.
- Okay.
'Cause he's coming out
the college game, people start to think,
"Oh, you know, inexperience,"
and maybe, "Oh, is this a bit too soon?"
- Got it? Good.
- Yes, sir.
But, you know,
I think the future is so bright for him.
It's… The possibilities are
endless for Malachi as a football player.
And I think he's a hugely inspiring guy.
- Hey, see you tomorrow.
- Okay.
Yes, sir. See you later. Bye.
This is one of the biggest games
in my career at this point.
My family's typically the
first people that I'd share any big update
when I hear anything soccer related.
I usually FaceTime him
around this time anyways, so…
My brother, Michael,
lives 30 minutes outside of Nashville.
In the orphanage, we were all we had.
And Michael, my oldest brother,
he became, like, the father figure
and kinda became our protector.
What's up, bro?
- How are you?
- I'm good, man.
We just got out of training
and I'm in the lineup.
- Oh, my goodness!
- Yeah.
That's crazy, bro. I can't wait.
It's going to be epic.
This is some big boy stuff.
Oh, my goodness!
Alrighty, we'll see you
when you get here, bro.
- Oh, I'm gonna see you.
- All right, talk to you later. Bye.
This is the 28th all-time meeting
between the New York Red Bulls
and New York City FC.
The derby's always so exciting.
Being from Jersey makes it
that much bigger for me.
And yeah, I wanna smash him.
So me and John will be versing each
other the whole game, pretty much.
Definitely gonna put
some big tackles in. Definitely.
This is a big game, this one.
And big players
and big teams thrive in big games.
You attack them.
We'll have fucking 30,000 behind us.
- One, two, three.
- Win, win, win!
Let's go, New York!
Come on, boys, come on! Come on!
Come on, Kyle! Come on, Kyle!
New York City doing well
initially to play away from the pressure.
Here comes Malachi Jones.
Jones getting the cross in. Good ball!
Yeah!
Yes, let's go!
Malachi Jones assists for an early goal.
And a 1-0 lead for New York City.
Come on. Come on. Come on.
Hey!
That was a foul!
Put the socks up!
- Put the socks up or get a yellow card.
- Calm down!
- What you want?
- It's fucking natural!
- What you want? Make a choice.
- We'll wait till half-time…
Good job, good job!
Harper from distance!
Spectacular from Cameron Harper!
That's a foul. Hey!
Wolf, come on!
Wolf cutting inside,
away from Morgan, leaving for Gray.
Cross! Oh, and in!
2-1 NYCFC!
And it's over!
New York is blue!
New York City win
the Hudson River Derby 2-1
to jump above their rivals in the third
place in the Eastern Conference table.
Blue, baby! Let's go!
Brilliant. You're fucking brilliant.
- Well done. Well done.
- Thank you. Thank you.
I definitely feel so much more part of
the team, like a pivotal piece.
To walk away with a win and an assist
was pretty sweet.
My journey has-has begun.
After the game,
just feeling of defeat, really.
Yeah, it's just a shit feeling, really.
I don't mind being the bad guy,
y'know. I think it's…
it's kinda me.
There really is just a culture here
where it's, like,
it's us.
We don't give a crap what you think.
We're gonna do things how we wanna do them
and if you have a problem with it,
we don't really care.
I think that ties in
to the Red Bulls' identity.
And I've been lucky enough
that Red Bull plays the way they do.
I do enjoy getting booed.
If you're choosing to boo me,
it is, I guess you could say,
a sign of respect,
or maybe they just really hate me.
It could be that too.
But either/or, I'm fine with.
I think, for sure, you feed off of it.
And I think if you don't,
then it can kinda swallow you up,
you know?
But I, for sure, feed off of it.
Shit, I mean, it is motivation and fuel.
When you think about New York City,
the city of opportunity,
it's almost a natural marriage
of Malachi and NYCFC
that he's found his place there.
Type of an impact
do you see coming from Malachi Jones?
I love what he's brought to this team.
Just the speed on the outside,
good vision, timing in the moments…
He's just grown in confidence.
The derby left us feeling
that we have finally arrived as a team.
Hopefully, for me, the goal is to keep
having bigger moments along the way.
Here comes Malachi Jones.
Malachi Jones kinda burst
on the scene this year
and just, like, kinda stole
the hearts of our fan base.
Someone that, like,
we can see being a mainstay of the club
for many years to come.
He just has such a bright future.
Come on!
Malachi Jones,
the eighth pick in the college draft,
is taking on a surprisingly big role.
I want to be the best player,
and quite frankly, I'm ambitious.
So for me, the aspiration is to,
as a rookie, win an MLS Cup.
And now Rodríguez,
he's trying to play it through.
We've got a collision
between Stajduhar and Jones
who are both down.
You saw the right leg
of Stajduhar and the right leg of Jones,
- colliding at full speed.
- Oh, boy.
I think there's two
players with broken legs here.
I really do.
My body just went into so much shock,
I didn't really know what was happening.
But I just realized
that the leg wasn't moving.
And I just laid there, thinking,
"Will I ever be able to play again?"
Nick Cushing looking on.
I was terrified.
I just was thinking in my head,
"This could be the last time
I step onto the field."
He was becoming so important to us.
He was in form.
The shock wave hit me
when I was in the hospital, sitting there,
like, "Okay, now I can't…
I can't be alongside my teammates
for the rest of this year."
It was definitely a blow.
But they told me the surgery went well.
No complications.
And I'm sitting there like,
"Thank God for that."
Like, now… now, it's all about focussing
on the recovery.
He is really resilient.
He has shown throughout his life
that he has a real maturity
to get through difficult times.
That-That will always be
his super-strength.
The lineups,
first for the home club, the city blue.
They make one change.
Awful injury to Malachi Jones.
Past Saliba.
And the finish!
Try to keep the knee straight.
Moralez, keeping the ball rolling.
Effort towards goal! Oh, wow!
Something out of nothing!
I'm working really hard
to make a full recovery.
Think my aim is for preseason again.
O'Toole with a ball
across goal. Moralez. And Gray!
The boy from the Bronx!
They've come to Red Bull Arena
and ripped Red Bull New York apart.
I think when you make playoffs,
first thing you need is belief.
You have to believe
you can make a run in the playoff.
Then it's anybody's.
- Is there pain or no pain?
- It's the slightest pain.
Is it what we talked about yesterday,
your body's telling your mind what to do?
- Yeah.
- Okay. Let's-Let's get away from that.
NYCFC, FC Cincinnati,
they drew the 90 minutes
in a penalty kick shoot-out.
Saved by Freese!
And finally, we have our winner!
NYCFC, off to the Conference semifinal,
making a Hudson River Derby.
New York City in Major League Soccer
since 2015,
we've never seen the Hudson River Derby
head to the playoffs.
I cannot wait for that.
I-I'm convinced it's my hip
and, like, back.
I don't think it's an actual hammy damage.
Yeah, to be fair,
I haven't been getting ready for training
as good as I should, too.
- Wow, did you just…
- What, bro?
- Did you just put some onus on yourself?
- Yeah. Of course, bro.
- Did you just take some responsibility?
- What do you mean, bro?
NYC got the best of us
earlier in the year,
so for sure, there's unfinished business.
So point where you feel it on the left.
- Here.
- It's right up there?
Yes, right where my butt cheek starts.
Here we go. Pull again.
We've never won an MLS Cup.
That would make the team iconic, I think,
to win the first MLS Cup.
To be a part of that,
that would be remembered forever.
Oh, my God, Matt.
Before the game, you're not
really thinking so much tactics.
It's more the physical game and the fight
and, you know, who brings more intensity.
And I think that's the biggest thing you
kinda have to get yourself prepared for.
Playing against NYCFC is…
I would describe it as just a dog fight,
an absolute, just, battle,
mentally and physically.
It's gonna be fun.
It's gonna be a showdown.
I'm ready to go. I'm ready.
Ready to get out there.
We wanna kill them.
It's the biggest match
they've played in a long time.
It's New York, New York, and here we go
to get the Conference semifinal started.
This is the first time
that both New York teams are gonna
be playing each other in the playoffs.
New York's beat us twice this year.
So naturally, people will look at us
as the underdogs.
Hopefully, we can get that revenge
and come out on top when it matters most.
When you lose two games
against your hated rivals,
that's gotta sting
if you're a Red Bull fan.
But the first playoff meeting…
It's gonna be tough to live that one down
if you're not the team that advances.
We're gonna win
and we'll keep going after this match.
It's just a matter of time before we get
a cup back to our fans,
and they deserve it.
The highs and the lows
are that much more significant
when we're playing Red Bulls
so that will be extra, extra sweet
if we're the ones
who send them packing this year.
So hopefully that's the case.
I'm not getting an opportunity
to represent the city, in a playoff match.
I-It definitely hits to heart there.
I'm gonna be the first one on the field,
win or lose,
when that final whistle blows.
And what better feeling than to eliminate
your-your city rivals in a playoff match?
Ron, Ron, Ron, Ronny!
This game is gonna be incredibly intense.
One big fight with a bit of soccer
in between, right?
Listen, this a fucking huge opportunity.
And I'll tell you now, the strength of us
is everyone in this locker room
and the fucking belief.
They are in this
as long as we leave 'em in it.
You put it in the throat like that
and you slit it, huh? Yeah?
Come on, let's go. Hey, come on.
- Let's go. Let's go, hey! Come on.
- Oh, yeah!
Go! Let's go, let's go,
let's go, let's go!
Guys, here we go. Here we go. Go!
This is the biggest derby
that New York has ever had in soccer.
What this brings is…
is more than just a playoff game
because it's gonna live forever and
it's gonna be etched in history, this one.
They say, if you can make it here,
you can make it anywhere.
What's fact is that the winning team today
will make it to
the Eastern Conference Final.
That's it. Come on. Come on.
Hey!
Next time has to be yellow.
Fucking hell.
Eh, that's a… that's a foul.
This guy shouldn't have touched me.
He touched me on the foot.
You go down soft, man.
But you go down soft
and that's why he reacts,
so don't go down soft.
Once we get these fans into it, I just
don't see them having answers for us.
Second ball! Second ball!
Will send this ball long
in the direction of Carballo
with the shot!
Goal!
An absolute laser, and
the Red Bulls have the lead on the road!
One goal
and the gates are gonna open for us.
We just need to see that glimmer of hope.
Going for the bicycle kick!
Sandy, come on!
The shot goes over the bar.
It's a big game, this.
We gotta get it right. This is a big game.
It's out for a Red Bulls' corner.
It will count!
Final seconds of the opening half,
the Red Bulls in the driver's seat.
Calm. Calm heads. Calm heads.
A lot of game to go.
Okay, listen. The intensity has to stay.
You're gonna go out there now
and it's gonna be a big awe for football.
And we got to dictate it from the off.
One goal gives us life.
Yeah, and breeds anxiety in them.
But you gotta believe.
New York Red Bulls 45 minutes away
from a trip to the Conference final.
We're playing. We're playing a little bit.
Put a goal in and I think the…
the tide will start changing.
This game is far from over.
Here, here, here, here, here!
With each passing moment,
New York looks to have more of
a shade of red.
Keep the ball!
Play! Play!
Julián Fernández again
able to play this in.
They get a head to it… And off the post!
Tonight, the Red Bulls
are the kings of Queens!
They're going to a Conference final.
Obviously John Tolkin.
You know what he can be like.
He just needs to be calmed down now.
He goes over to the NYC fans
and gets them going then.
They're throwing stuff onto the pitch.
Several of the players made
no secret in the buildup to this game,
"We don't particularly like each other."
But the bragging rights for Red Bull
will likely mean something.
Well, let me tell you now,
they're here and they're in it to win it.
Sweet revenge.
We just wanted to show the intensity.
I think everybody saw it out there.
And then… Yeah, maybe I went
a little too far with the fans after,
but it's part of it, so… it's good, huh?
- What color is the city?
- It's red. It's always red.
It's never been blue, bro.
The transfer window, this is
the time where you can improve the team
or kill the team.
Olivier Giroud signing for LAFC,
that's a big-ass deal.
That puts
the rest of the league on notice.
The expectation is to win
and to win everything.
Bogusz again. Kamara!
LAFC's having the best
transfer window at the moment, right?
You never like losing to a rival.
Um, or your old boss.
Vargas!
I want to be known as a successful GM
and someone that helped build
one of the best clubs in the league.
"I don't need a team of dogs.
I need a team of wolves."
In an ideal world,
you wanna be a win-win situation.
But in this world,
there is no win-win situation.
There's always someone winning
and someone losing.