Footy Link Is Plugging the Gap in NYC Soccer’s System
New York’s soccer scene has always been electric — raw talent, packed fields, and ballers from every borough putting on a show. Yet, despite all that energy, the city’s players often remain unseen. That’s what inspired 22-year-old Chris Moulinos, founder of Footy Link NYC, to build a digital platform that finally connects the city’s real players with real clubs.
“I’ve played almost every level from DA and MLS Next with BW Gottschee as well as the college level in Boston at Emerson College,” Moulinos said. “I also spent a few months overseas at Aoilikos Academy. Right now, I’ve been playing competitively in leagues around the city such as the CSL, APSL, and LISFL.”
After years bouncing between structured academies and the street scene, Moulinos noticed something missing. “I wouldn’t say there is a specific moment that sparked the idea, but many little moments of seeing holes within the way New York City soccer is structured and undeveloped,” he said. “Especially within the past year spending time playing here as an adult.”
That reality became the fuel for Footy Link, a startup that aims to connect overlooked talent with the clubs and coaches who need them. “For how big and how talented NYC is, there is such little infrastructure and services for these players,” Moulinos said. “This leads to so many unknown and misfound ballers. That’s when I knew there had to be a way to get people’s names out there.”
Unlike generic recruiting platforms, Footy Link is born from the grassroots. “Footy Link is so different purely because it’s made and taken care of by actual NYC players who know the ins and outs of what playing in the city is like,” he said. “We know what clubs need and how to help them, and we also know how to cater to players and get them to where they want to be.”
That local knowledge drives every feature. Player verification involves direct outreach to coaches, highlight evaluation, and background checks — ensuring that clubs can trust the talent they find. “We make sure we background check players, reach out to their teams, get their highlight tapes and evaluate them fully before allowing clubs to reach out,” Moulinos said. “This will save the clubs time and also guarantees that they will get what they are looking at.”
Early response has been electric. “Every single club, coach, and player we have spoken to has called this a ‘great idea,’ and it solidifies the fact that this is a need for the community,” Moulinos said. “Now as we get closer to our launch it’s about showing the rest of the city that we really can make a difference.”
Moulinos believes New York’s problem isn’t a lack of talent — it’s visibility. “It’s overlooked because a lot of the time people look at the development over the raw talent,” he said. “New York has the most diverse talent and so many ballers from around the world. But since these players don’t have a platform or an established path, no one gets to see what New York actually got.”
That diversity, he argues, is NYC’s secret weapon. “Players from so many different cultures play the game so differently. Different attributes, different skills, different tactics, different needs. But at the same time it all blends, and these players have such a unique skillset but also an ultra competitive mentality since they know the amount of ballers there are here.”
Footy Link aims to unify all that chaos and creativity. “It unifies it because it puts all the talent, no matter what league, on one unified platform,” Moulinos said. “It doesn’t matter where you play or who you know, Footy Link combines all scenes into one.”
That accessibility is what drives the mission. “That’s the whole point of what we do — getting these players connections they need and getting these clubs the players they want,” Moulinos said. “We will make sure of this by always being there for the player and club and working with them through their needs and what they want to pursue.”
For now, the focus is local. “It’s still very early and we haven’t launched yet, so our focus is on perfecting NYC and helping out as many clubs and players as possible,” Moulinos said. “Once we know we can expand, we will, but that is not our focus currently.”
And his message to the thousands grinding every weekend across the boroughs? “I’d say keep going,” he said. “Even if you feel like you’re not getting anywhere, every practice and touch of a ball is making you better. Take advantage of your resources also.”
To the clubs, Moulinos keeps it simple: “Before they know it, they’re going to be looking to fill a roster or a specific player. And once they do, they now have a platform in the back of their head to do this easily.”
Footy Link isn’t just another tech startup — it’s New York soccer’s missing infrastructure, built by one of its own.
