His time in the league was a bit fleeting, but anyone who paid attention to MLS in 2017 and 2018 knows just how important Yangel Herrera was to New York City FC during his two seasons in the Bronx.



What you might not know is the story of how he arrived.



Herrera was officially acquired by NYCFC on loan from English Premier League giants Manchester City in February 2017. It wasn’t your standard loan deal but rather a collaboration between sibling clubs, two teams in the same global football conglomerate pooling together the combined resources of their parent organization to work toward a beneficial outcome.



It’s the kind of move that only makes sense in very specific circumstances — circumstances that NYCFC just happen to share with their cross-Hudson River rivals the New York Red Bulls.



Both New York clubs, who will meet Saturday at Yankee Stadium, are part of worldwide soccer enterprises. They’re not the only...