Proving grounds: Jonathan Shore’s rise and the opportunity ahead at NYCFC | OneFootball

New York native and Homegrown playerJonathan Shore has accomplished professional soccer dreams that many kids would give anything for. Since he signed his contract in 2023, the midfielder has steadily grown at New York City FC.

Shore first developed his skills through the New York City soccer club, Manhattan Kickers. After excelling rapidly, Shore earned a chance to be part of the NYCFC Academy in 2017 at just 10 years old. His steady but fast development led to him becoming the 11th Homegrown player to sign with NYCFC at 15 years old. He subsequently played for NYCFC II in 2023 and 2024. Additionally, he was also included in the MLS NEXT All-Star roster during the 2023 season.

Jonathan Shore's skills have led to his rise with NYCFC

Shore has promising skills on the pitch that earned him a Homegrown contract with NYCFC. According to data and statistics on his FotMob player profile, he shines the brightest on the defensive side of the ball. His primary position is as a defensive midfielder. Although he has the flexibility to also assume a central midfield role.

Compared to other midfielders, it is not clear whether these are within his age range. Shore contributes 79 percent of defensive effort when he is on the pitch, with his next-highest statistical strength being touches on the ball at 53 percent during the 2025 Major League Soccer season. The young player played in 30 matches between the regular season and playoffs, starting 16 of those and netting one goal. He played 33 games in all competitions.

Shore’s bread and butter on the offensive side of the ball appears to be around the outer edge of the opponent’s box, with his only goal of the season coming from a header off a corner kick. When he possesses the ball in the opponent’s half, especially inside the box, he achieves gritty, effective touches.

While the midfielder is still finding his feet and does not yet have dazzling goal-scoring numbers, one notable statistic stands out: Shore posted an 86.1 percent passing accuracy. This signifies that he does well helping teammates create links to progress the ball. He also recorded 58 tackles last season, to go along with six blocked shots.

With Justin Haak moving on to Los Angeles to play with the LA Galaxy, this may create an opportunity for Shore to prove to head coach Pascal Jansen that he is worthy of a future permanent spot in the Starting XI.