Every couple months, the familiar “Mt. Rushmore” trend re-surfaces across the social media world and ignites the same conversation of, “who is on your Mt. Rushmore of (blank)?” If you're unfamiliar, it's basically just a top-4 debate.
So for example, my Mt. Rushmore of food would be burritos, pizza, burgers, and sushi. My Mt. Rushmore of musical artists would be The Beatles, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Arctic Monkeys, and Green Day (don’t judge me). But, my Mt. Rushmore of NYCFC players would be…complicated.
When this trend inevitably made it into the NYCFC Twitter-sphere, there were plenty of top-4’s floated around by different supporters, fan accounts, and blogs. And while many of them featured various players from different eras of the club’s growing history, there was one ever-present figure’s face firmly sculpted into nearly everyone’s theoretical mountain: Maximiliano Moralez.
Maxi Moralez immortalized in stone (Via PhotoFunia)
And for good reason - he’s an absolute club legend. No two ways about it. But what about his NYCFC career makes him so universally celebrated by fans and pundits alike? Well, lets jump back almost 6 years to preseason 2017…
In 2015 and 2016, Major League Soccer was absolutely lit ablaze by Toronto FC’s ‘Atomic Ant’, Sebastian Giovinco. Across those two season, the Italian had racked up a ridiculous 39 goals and 31 assists, and did so in astonishing style. Giovinco had come from Juventus in Serie A, and after his dazzling displays at CAM lead Toronto to an MLS Cup final in 2016, I think the idea of having a star “No. 10” spread far and fast across the league.
So in February 2017, when NYCFC announced the signing of a small, crafty no. 10 with a history in Serie A, I think we were all very excited about what was to come. But, instead of Maxi Moralez becoming the next Giovinco, he became something entirely his own, and something nothing short of invaluable for The Pigeons.
Maxi Moralez's signing announcement from the club (Via NYCFC.com)
From his signing in 2017 to his departure ahead of the 2023 season, he racked up an incredible 194 appearances over six seasons with the club, while tallying 36 goals and 60 assists. And while his 36 goals is impressive enough to land him 3rd on NYCFC’s all-time scoring list, it was his assist tally that is truly remarkable.
Not only is his 60 set-ups the most in NYCFC history, it is over 2.5x the amount of the second place finisher, Taty Castellanos, who racked up 24 assists in his ‘City tenure. You can even throw in 3rd place finisher, Anton Tinnerholm, and his 23 NYCFC assists into the equation, and you’d still fall well short of Maxi’s record. And that, my friends, is just ridiculous.
But there is, of course, far more to Maxi’s game than just goals and assists. Longtime NYCFC announcer, Ian Joy, famously dubbed him “The Little Genius” for good reason. His reading of the game was simply different class in an NYCFC shirt. His ability to find pockets of space, manipulate the ball to his will, use his body effectively, and pick out a pass allowed him to dominate even the most athletic of defenses despite standing at just 5’3” and 115 lbs.
Maxi Moralez snatching the soul of some poor Orlando City defender (Via Alex Menendez)
His extended time at the club saw him play under four different managers in New York, and despite changing systems, ideology, and surrounding personnel, he was able to excel under each of them. He proved as adaptable as he was talented, playing in his preferred No. 10 position (of course), but also playing in wide areas, and most recently proving he was effective occupying deeper roles by playing in a double-pivot for extended spells last season. No matter the position, no matter the tactical setup of the opponent, no matter the gaffer, Maxi Moralez was a player that was simply too important to be left off the field, and that type of player doesn’t come around all too often.
And, if the stats and the eye test weren’t good enough for you, Maxi cemented his legacy as an NYCFC legend by playing a huge part in the club’s breakthrough MLS Cup victory in 2021. With 11 regular season assists to his name already that season, he grabbed an assist in the conference quarterfinals vs Atlanta, an equalizing goal in the conference finals at Philly, and assisted our lone goal in the MLS Cup Final en route to the all-important win in Portland. So while we’re listing all of Maxi’s traits here, let’s go ahead and stamp the word “clutch” across the top of his resume as well.
Maxi Moralez lifting MLS Cup (Via mlssoccer.com)
Now, as Maxi is set to leave NYCFC for his boyhood club, Racing, the only thing that feels amiss would be the circumstances surrounding his exit. Yes, we all knew he was 35 years old and likely coming to the end of his ‘City tenure. But, this just isn’t the goodbye I imagined.
If anyone deserves a proper sendoff in front of a packed Yankee Stadium crowd, it’s Maxi. In all honesty, I expected to give him that sendoff at the end of this coming season. It would have been great to have watched him in a 'farewell’ campaign, where we could cherish each of his last appearances while knowing they were his last. Instead, I find myself looking back at his final appearances from last season and wishing I appreciated those moments more.
But at the end of the day, Maxi Moralez can do whatever the hell he wants, and certainly doesn’t owe the club or its fans anything more than what he’s already given us, which has been consistent, unrelenting brilliance.
So, we’ll miss you Maxi, and best of luck at Racing! You'll be a legend of this club forever.
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