2015 season: NYCFC sign R.J. Allen, a coach with youth affiliate Staten Island United.
2016 offseason: They acquire Ethan White for a 4th round pick from the Philadelphia Union and sign Mikey Lopez off waivers.
2017 offseason: They sign Ben Sweat, who was let go by his MLS and NASL clubs, and John Stertzer, who was unwanted in Salt Lake City.
These players truly came from far and wide, but they all had one thing in common— their former teams didn’t feel they brought sufficient value.