Andres Reyes: “As we get ready for the game, including against our rivals, we always study the team. We focus on the team and then we focus on each player but as we get closer, we focus more on the tactics of the teams we play.”(Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports)

By Michael Lewis
FrontRowSoccer.com Editor

After securing three points at home against the New England Revolution, the Red Bulls can double their pleasure when they meet New York City FC in the Hudson River Derby next week.

If they win, the third-place Red Bulls (14-9-8, 50 points) will clinch an MLS Cup Playoff berth for the 13th consecutive year.

And there would be a bonus for the team, as it will deny NYCFC (13-11-7, 46) a much needed three points to secure its hold on fourth place in the MLS Eastern Conference.

Red Bulls captain and center back Aaron Long felt Saturday’s game at Yankee Stadium should be payback time for his side after City recorded a win the first time the teams met in MLS action, a 1-0 win for the visitors on July 17.

“For them to come here earlier this year and win at our place in the regular season did not feel too good,” Long said after the Red Bulls’ 2-1 comeback victory over the New England Revolution on Saturday night. “So, I’m definitely looking forward to that game because again, looking at the playoff picture and where we can set ourselves up in the top four, it is a really big game and always against our rivals, for the fans it’s huge. So, full steam ahead for next weekend, for sure.”

Fellow center back Andres Reyes said that plans to do plenty of research on NYCFC, which is in the midst of a five-game winless streak (0-4-1).

“As we get ready for the game, including against our rivals, we always study the team,” he said. “We focus on the team and then we focus on each player but as we get closer, we focus more on the tactics of the teams we play.”

Actually, the game is Round Three between the two rivals. The Red Bulls eliminated City in the Lamar Hunt Open Cup, 3-0, on June 22.

“First of all it’s always a mental set up, a very hungry mental setup for the next game, and all the tactical things we executed on a higher level,” head coach Gerard Struber said. “Very important that we are also very extremely ready before we go into the international break to realize the next points.

“In our situation, we have to give them a big mission in this game. We know we need a clear match plan and we know how — to take the power from them. We have to do everything this week to prepare our setup in a direction that we can win.”

Front Row Soccer editor Michael Lewis has covered 13 World Cups (eight men, five women), seven Olympics and 25 MLS Cups. He has written about New York City FC, New York Cosmos, the New York Red Bulls and both U.S. national teams for Newsday and has penned a soccer history column for the Guardian.com. Lewis, who has been honored by the Press Club of Long Island and National Soccer Coaches Association of America, is the former editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He has written seven books about the beautiful game and has published ALIVE AND KICKING The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers. It is available at Amazon.com.