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Taty Castellanos Heads to West Ham

BQE Admin on January 15, 2026

Former NYC striker scores in FA Cup

By Noah Zimmerman

noah@queensledger.com

Former New York City FC star and 2021 MLS Cup and Golden Boot winner Valentin “Taty” Castellanos has landed in London, joining West Ham United on a contract running through 2030 with an option for 2031.

Castellanos was a vital part of New York City’s first ever title-winning team. He scored the last of his 19 regular season goals on the final matchday, winning the Golden Boot via assists tiebreaker.

In the postseason, Taty scored in each of NYC’s first two matches, opening the scoring in a 2-0 win over Atlanta and briefly putting them ahead in extra time against New England before an eventual win in a penalty shootout. In the MLS Cup Final in Portland, Taty scored his third playoff goal and converted in the cup-deciding penalty shootout, etching himself into club history.

The Argentine striker was loaned to Spanish side Girona FC to begin his European career in 2022 before being sold to Italian club SS Lazio the following year. In nearly 100 matches over three seasons in Rome, Taty netted 22 goals and 16 assists, a fraction of what he provided NYC in just 36 more matches played.

Now Taty heads to the British capital to help the Hammers in their quest to avoid relegation. A meager 14 points through 20 matches has West Ham four points behind safety in Nottingham Forest, but with 18 matches to play there is ample time to secure a 14th consecutive season in the Premier League.

“I hope to give my all to the fans. I’ve always defended the jersey of every team with the utmost responsibility, and I want to tell them that I’m going to give everything, to defend this jersey, and obviously, to achieve our goals day after day,” Castellanos said. “That’s the most important thing.”

Castellanos was signed and made available for his West Ham debut on Tuesday against Tottenham Hotspur. He played the full 90 minutes, recording a handful of shot attempts, though he did not find the net.

Taty’s first West Ham goal came over the weekend in FA Cup action, scoring the winner in extra time to defeat Championship side Queens Park Rangers 2-1. He headed home the winning goal from the top of the 6-yard box, finishing a great run and cross from Crysencio Summerville.

With his first West Ham goal scored, will this final stretch of the Premier League season be where the prolific goalscorer once again finds his high-scoring boots? And will it be enough to save the possibly doomed Hammers?

NYC Upset the Union, Head to Miami for Conference Finals

BQE Admin on November 26, 2025

By Noah Zimmerman

noah@queensledger.com

In stunning fashion, New York City FC upset the top-seeded Philadelphia Union on the road, punching a ticket to Miami for the Eastern Conference Finals. Even without star striker Alonso Martinez, who suffered a knee injury while on international duty, and midfielder Andres Perea, injured in the Round 1 finale against Charlotte, New York were again able to find the net through a moment of brilliance.

It was NYC club legend Maxi Moralez who scored the lone goal in the match, getting on the end of a gorgeous through ball from Nico Fernandez after a great inside cut by Agustin Ojeda. The 38-year-old Argentine midfielder tucked the ball past Philly goalkeeper Andre Blake just ahead of the half-hour mark, sending the sizable contingent of traveling NYC fans into a frenzy.

For the last hour of the match, the City defense rose once more to the challenge. Despite the Union’s persistent attack, only 5 of their 18 shots were put on target. The centerback pairing of Justin Haak and Thiago Martins was nearly impenetrable, with Raul Gustavo and Tayvon Gray equally impressive on either side of them.

Standing tall between the posts and playing hero multiple times was Matt Freese. The Pennsylvania native made his Major League Soccer debut for the Union back in 2019, and in 2021 manned Philadelphia’s goal against New York City as the Boys in Blue won 2-1 en route to their first MLS Cup title.

In his first postseason appearance against his former club, Freese put on a remarkable display. “Matty Ice” saved all 5 Union shots on goal, including an otherworldly stop at the near post against Francis Westfield in the 74th minute and a long-distance strike from Milan Iloski in 2nd half stoppage time.

NYC had only a few looks at Philly’s goal after Moralez opened the scoring, the most notable being a bold attempt by Nico Fernandez from midfield. Nico spotted Blake off his line before attempting to curl the ball past him from inside his own half, forcing the Jamaican international to sprint back and just barely clear the ball off the goal line. Blake instantly grabbed at his hamstring, and after a few minutes he was forced into a substitution.

The Union subbed on top prospect Cavan Sullivan with 10 minutes remaining in regulation, but the youngster was just barely unable to set up Bruno Damiani, whose shot was blocked at the top of the box. NYC were able to see out the final minutes, and again the stadium fell silent aside from the travelling fans as the full time whistle blew.

The win marks New York’s third trip to the Eastern Conference Finals, having visited the Union both in 2021 and 2022. Now New York will head down to Florida for their third matchup with Inter Miami CF this year. It will be the second postseason contest between the two clubs, with NYC winning 3-0 in 2022. This will be the first time they face Lionel Messi in the playoffs, with the all-time great winning the league’s Golden Boot and contributing to all four goals in their Eastern Conference Semifinal win over Cincinnati.

Kickoff from Chase Stadium in Ft. Lauderdale will be on Saturday, November 29, at 6pm. The winner will advance to the 2025 MLS Cup Final against newcomers San Diego FC or the Vancouver Whitecaps, slated for December 6 at 2:30pm.

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