Will this be the Justin Haak revenge game?
The former New York City FC star didn’t believe that, but Haak knows that it will be “strange” facing the club that he’s spent his entire career playing for on Sunday with his new team, the LA Galaxy. Haak left the Big Apple for the bright lights of Hollywood in the offseason after contract talks with NYCFC didn’t produce a new deal.
“It’s definitely gonna be strange playing against them, especially the first game of this season,” Haak told The Post in a conversation ahead of the season opener. “I think it’s a little more motivation for me going into this game, but that’s all it really is for me. Just a little bit extra motivation on top of an already exciting season opener with a new team.”
Haak signed a one-year deal with the Galaxy in December that includes a club option for June 2027.
The move was a significant loss for NYCFC as it saw one of its homegrown talents depart for another club.
Haak came up through New York City FC’s academy system and played seven seasons for the club, including playing a crucial role in their run to the Eastern Conference Finals last year.
While Haak said leaving New York wasn’t an easy decision, “trying something new” played a part in his decision to sign with LA. He also pointed to the way contract talks played out as a reason he ultimately left, telling The Post that the way things were handled “took a toll.”
“I would say up until the very end of the season, New York City wasn’t really pushing,” Haak said about talks. “They did send offers, but nothing that ever when I looked at it was like, this is just too good. I have to take this offer. More like they were trying to do the bare minimum up until the very end of the season, when they finally realized how interested other teams were.”
Sporting director Todd Dunivant, who still hadn’t officially taken over the role, made the offer to fly out to meet with Haak, but the 24-year-old said that by the time that offer was made, he had essentially decided what he was going to do.
And there were no conversations between Haak and Dunivant before the footballer made the decision, the former explained.
“There was a small part of me that wanted to try something new, try to step outta my comfort zone a little bit, just because I’ve been in New York my whole life,” Haak said. “I wouldn’t say it was an easy decision for me to leave. I would have stayed if they would have given me an offer that I thought was very strong and something that there’s no way I could have said no to.”
He added: “From the locker room and the coaching staff, there’s not a bad word I can say about those guys. It is really just how they handled the situation as a whole, I think took a toll on it.”
Now in LA, Haak is in a role that is similar to what he excelled in while in New York — being versatile between playing center back and midfield.
He has already played preseason matches at both positions, and he still feels “very comfortable” in both roles.
“I feel like we have a really strong group here in Galaxy,” Haak said. “We have a chance to do something special.”
While Haak might not be with NYCFC any longer, he said he still plans to support them from afar, joking that he’ll still have a passion for the club long after his playing days are over.
And, in a message to the fans, he thanked them for their years of support.
“I really appreciate all the support they gave me throughout my time there. And always I’ll be with them supporting NYCFC except for this weekend,” he said. “But other than that, I’ll always be with them, supporting them.”
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
