NYCFC vs New York Red Bulls preview: Aiming for another Hudson River Derby sweep | OneFootball

Last season, New York City FC swept the New York Red Bulls in the regular season.  This included the stunning 5-1 win at Sports Illustrated Stadium.  So, with the win earlier this season at home, the Pigeons will aim to sweep the New Jersey side in the regular season for the second season in a row.

They also need to completely forget what happened in the middle of the week.  NYCFC lost horribly to Inter Miami CF.  Funny enough, they were playing decently well and were only down a goal.  But the backline crumbled once Thiago Martins was taken out, which led to the 4-0 loss.  The Boys in Blue cannot let this loss sit in the back of their minds, for the focus must shift to the Hudson River Derby.

It does not help either that NYCFC will be without their leading scorer, Alonso Martínez.  The Costa Rican’s quad injury will keep him out, which will hurt their chances of winning on the “road” against RBNY.  Of course, the rival’s home has been used as the Bronx team’s home in the past, so it probably will not feel like a true road match.  Still, others will have to step up if the night will end in three points for the blue side.

With the season inching closer to the end, NYCFC cannot afford to lose against a team that is below them in the standings.  Let’s take a look at the Hudson River Derby preview.

NYCFC vs RBNY preview

Date

NYCFC and the Red Bulls will play on Saturday, September 27.

Time

The match will begin at 7:30 PM ET.

Location

The fixture will take place at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, NJ.

How to watch

Fans can watch the game on the MLS Season Pass via Apple TV.

Weather

It will be a decent night for the derby.  It will be cloudy with a 24% chance of rain and around 73 degrees. If it does rain, then it will likely be a little uncomfortable in the seats and on the pitch.

Injury report

Nico Cavallo (leg), Malachi Jones (leg), Alonso Martínez (leg), and Keaton Parks (leg) are all out for the derby.

Players to watch

Justin Haak is the player to watch for NYCFC.  He is having a superb season and has done well defensively regardless of whether he was in the backline or defensive midfield.  But he has shined next to Thiago Martins and has been critical in many matches where the Pigeons relied on the defense.  Obviously, what happened on Wednesday was not ideal.  But that does not take away how good the defense has been throughout the year, and Haak is one of the reasons why.

On the Red Bulls, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting is someone to pay attention to.  The Boys in Blue will be without their leading scorer, RBNY has theirs.  Hence, with 16 goals in the regular season, the forward will be dangerous.  He is a major reason why the New Jersey side is still in contention to make the playoffs.

The Pigeons can beat the Red Bulls.  There is no question.  What one will wonder is whether the previous loss will impact the mental aspect of the match.  However, NYCFC will still win 2-1.  It will not be easy, but the players know what is at stake if they do not gain all three points.