NYCFC vs New York Red Bulls preview: 2026 U.S. Open Cup Round of 16 match | OneFootball

While Major League Soccer has not been pretty over the last month or so, New York City FC at least had a great start to the U.S. Open Cup.  They beat Westchester SC in the Round of 32 and will now play in the Round of 16.  This time, the Boys in Blue will face an extremely familiar foe: the New York Red Bulls.

The red side beat the blue side the last time they played one another in the tournament in 2022.  However, NYCFC won both games in the 2025 regular season, including the epic match at Sports Illustrated Stadium.  Thanks to the captain, Thiago Martins, the Bronx side won 3-2, securing the coveted Hudson River Derby trophy.

Of course, the Pigeons were playing much better football at that time, at least when it comes to results.  Now, there is that question about whether the team can secure a win and continue the journey in the Open Cup.

Therefore, here is a preview of the upcoming Hudson River Derby between NYCFC and the Red Bulls.

NYCFC vs RBNY preview

Date

NYCFC and the Red Bulls will play on Wednesday, April 29.

Time

The fixture will begin at 7:00 PM ET.

Location

The teams will play at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, NJ.

How to watch

Fans can catch the game on CBS Sports Network on TV and streaming on Paramount+.

Weather

It will be a gloomy Hudson River Derby.  When the match begins, it will be around 55 degrees and cloudy, with rain starting at some point during the 90 minutes of play.  It will hopefully be light rain, but as always, the forecast can significantly change throughout the day.  The wind will not be impactful, but the sleek conditions could influence play on the pitch.

Injury report

As of now, NYCFC has not released the injury report, and the team might not since it is not in MLS.  However, Drew Baiera (leg), Alonso Martínez (leg), Max Murray (leg), and Hannes Wolf (leg) missed the weekend fixture.  Additionally, Head Coach Pascal Jansen confirmed that Wolf is out.

Players to watch

Captain Martins is the player to pay attention to for the Boys in Blue.  The defense has not been the greatest, and even the captain has struggled and is not playing to the same level he played in 2025.  But he is a leader, and the center-back needs to step up.  He has to be his best and inspire his fellow defenders to help protect Matt Freese and the goal.

Fans should also watch RBNY’s Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty.  They have faced the Canadian before, but not with the Red Bulls since he was traded to New Jersey this year.  He has been a regular player already, and the right-back is strong defensively and offensively.  His passes make him reliable in going forward.  The Pigeons need to watch him in the attack as well.

Prediction

Listen, if this meeting were in the regular season, it might be slightly easier to do a positive prediction, especially since both teams are in the middle of winless streaks.  But this is the U.S. Open Cup, an unkind tournament to the Bronx side in the past.  That is why it is predicted that NYCFC will lose 2-1 to the Red Bulls.