By Michael Lewis
FrontRowSoccer.com Editor

When the Red Bulls and New York City FC walk onto the Yankee Stadium pitch for an MLS encounter on Sunday at 5 p.m., it will mark the 24th time these two archrivals will meet in the Hudson River Derby the past eight seasons.

The Red Bulls lead the series, 13-7-3, across all competitions and 10-7-3 in Major League Soccer matches and 3-0-0 in the Open Cup.

With 22 previous confrontations — some memorable ones — it is time to update the ranking of the various Hudson River Derby matches.

So, here goes:

1. NYCFC 3, Red Bulls 2 (Aug. 6, 2017)

New York City FC added another chapter to the legend of David Villa that Sunday night.

Villa connected for his first Major League Soccer hat-trick, including the game-winning penalty kick in the 75th minute, to power City to a 3-2 victory over the Red Bulls in the latest edition of the Hudson River Derby at Yankee Stadium.

The triumph gave third-place NYCFC (12-7-4, 40 points) the season series, 2-0, with Game No. 3 at Red Bull Arena Aug. 25 and extended the hosts home unbeaten streak to eight games while snapping the fourth-place Red Bulls’ (11-9-2, 35) winning streak at four.

The 2010 World Cup winner was at his best with the game on the line, striking twice within a three-minute span in the second half to turn the game on its head With the Red Bulls enjoying a 2-1 lead, the 35-year-old Villa took over in front of a soccer capacity crowd of 33,679.

In the 72nd minute he beat goalkeeper Luis Robles at the near right post to equalize at 2-2. After Sal Zizzo fouled him in the box for a yellow card, Villa drilled a penalty into the lower left corner for the game-winner in the 75th minute (Zizzo was sent off for accruing his second yellow card in the 90th minute).

MLS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: NYCFC’s David Villa (2 goals) wins it

David Villa struck for a hat-trick in 2017. (Keith Furman/FrontRowSoccer.com photo)

2. Red Bulls 7, NYCFC 0 (May 21, 2016)

No one saw it coming. Not the Red Bulls and certainly not NYCFC. I mean, how many times do you see soccer games include seven goals, let alone one team scoring them all as the visitors? Again and again and again, the Red Bulls’ press forced NYCFC into mistakes and into goals before a crowd of 37,848 at Yankee Stadium. A Bradley Wright-Phillips goal in first-half stoppage essentially broke City’s back with a three-goal halftime bulge. Dax McCarty headed home two goals, BWP had another and Alex Muyl, Gonzalo Veron and Gideon Baah scored their first goals for the Red Bulls. In derby history in the world, the scoreline was one of the most confounding.

“It was a disaster for us. All bad. All bad,” Villa said. “The best thing about this is we only lost three points. This was our worst day. The only thing we can do is forget the day, forget the game.”

Jesse Marsch had another take. “Incredible performance,” he said. “A bunch of guys on the field who wanted to express how much they wanted it. And it’s been a tough start of the season for us, no doubt. But I felt like in all ways we wanted to go out and make this a performance that we can hang our hat on, that we can say, ‘Now we’re turning a corner. It’s a big game. And we’re going to do everything we can to put it on our terms.’ ”

THE WRIGHT-PHILLIPS STUFF: BWP named MLS player of the week

Bradley Wright-Phillips scored 14 goals vs. NYCFC in derby encounter. (Vincent Carchietta/USA TODAY Sports)

3. NYCFC 2, Red Bulls 0 (July 3, 2016)

A little more than a month after the other debacle, City restored some of its dignity with a vital home shutout at Yankee Stadium before 33,613 spectators in its lone win to date. Jack Harrison and Villa tallied for the hosts, who salvaged one game in the series.

“I always say the same thing when we win or when we lose,” Villa said. “It’s three points more. This game is the same important as the next game in New York or the next game in Seattle. For the supporters, it’s a little bit different. We are happy to give this to the supporters. They deserved it a lot of games ago.”

TOP MLS HONORS: NYCFC’s Jack Harrison named player of the week

Jack Harrison found the net vs. the Red Bulls in 2017. (Trevor Ruszkowski/USA TODAY Sports)

4. Red Bulls 2, NYCFC 1 (July 14, 2019)

Add one intriguing and controversial chapter to the derby. In fact, it might have been the most controversial chapter in the five-year history of this budding rivalry.

Midfielder Daniel Royer headed in the game-winning goal for the Red Bulls on the hour in their 2-1 comeback victory at RBA. But New York City FC apparently was angry that assistant referee Corey Rockwell did not do a good enough job of communicating whether the dead-ball situation that led to the goal was a corner kick or a throw-in.

The ball went out of bounds on the right side of the Red Bulls’ attacking third. At first, Rockwell signaled via his flag that it was a corner kick before pointing it toward the other direction for a throw-in.

Alex Muyl’s throw-in went to Marc Rzatkowski, who passed to Cristian Casseres Jr. on the right side of the area. Casseres, in turn, fed Royer, who headed it home from eight yards past goalkeeper Sean Johnson.

It appeared that NYCFC did not apply pressure on the ball.

NYCFC players complained to referee Alan Kelly in vain and the goal stood as the Red Bulls improved their derby record to 5-1-1 at RBA. During FS1’s broadcast of the match, announcer JP Dellacamera said that Kelly had overruled Rockwell on the call, saying it was a throw-in.

There was no Video Assistant Referee used on the play.

Afterwards, a pool reporter asked Kelly why a corner kick wasn’t given.

“The referee overruled the AR because the referee was in a better position to judge that the ball went out for a throw-in,” Kelly responded.

“No ‘throw-in’ motion was made and would not normally be made.

“The referee indicated verbally that the restart was a throw-in. Corner kick vs. throw-in decisions are not reviewable by the VAR.”

After Kelly sounded the final whistle, several NYCFC players vented their frustrations at the game officials, including an incensed head coach Dome Torrent.

Torrent said NYCFC “had anticipated a corner, we are not ready because when they decided it’s corner, we are ready for the corner.”

“I’m so sorry for the soccer, because it’s not fair what happened in this game, I’m so sorry,” he added. “Sometimes I don’t like to talk about the refs, but impossible, don’t talk about the refs tonight, and everybody knows what happened. You have a doubt, you can go see the TV. It’s clear. But it’s indicated corner, two seconds — and what happened after that, maybe it’s our mistake, but it’s not easy once they corner and you are ready for the corner, not for the throw.

“This is a mistake. They know. He decided the game. I said to him, you decide the game and you know that. You decide the game. You are not brave. You decide the game.”

CORNER KICK OR THROW-IN?: Royer’s 2nd goal lifts Red Bulls over NYCFC on controversial call in Hudson River Derby

Daniel Royer celebrates his game-winning goal with Alex Muyl. (Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports)

5. Red Bulls 4, NYCFC 1 (July 24, 2016)

Like I said, a derby needs controversy. Well, on this day, there was a lot of controversy. Let’s see if we can put it in a nutshell without breaking the internet. Prior to the match, Marsch complained about how the Red Bulls were not getting calls from referee. City head coach Patrick Vieira was ejected from the match in the 34th minute because he had left the coaching box. Vieira claimed that Marsch’s comments set up referee Mark Geiger to call the third and final match of the derby in the hosts’ favor. He and ripped into his RBNY counterpart after the match. And oh yes, before we forget, BWP scored twice — again, and Ronald Zubar and Sacha Kljestan added one apiece. Tommy McNamara connected for NYCFC before 25,218 spectators at RBA.

OFFSIDE REMARKS: Patrick Vieira: an appreciation

Patrick Vieira received his marching orders in a 2016 derby confrontation.  (Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports)

6. A game of inches (Aug. 6, 2020)

The goal in front of the South Ward at Red Bull Arena has not been very good to New York City FC in Hudson River Derby matches the past 13 months.

On July 14, 2019, a miscommunication from the assistant referee led to the deciding goal for the Red Bulls in what turned into a 2-1 victory.

On Thursday night, a howler by goalkeeper Sean Johnson, coupled with a controversial decision, saw City drop a 1-0 loss to the Red Bulls in Harrison, N.J.

“It is kind of a similar sort of thing to last year,” center back James Sands said.

The result left a reeling NYCFC side (1-5-0, 3 points) in 13th place out of 14 teams in the MLS Eastern Conference.

“I’m very disappointed in the second half,” NYCFC head coach Ronny Deila said, “especially the first 15 minutes. We agreed we would attack the space in behind more. We agreed to be more intense in our pressure and we started on the back foot and never got into it. It’s almost like you deserve it.”

The game’s turning point came in the 59th minute.

Red Bulls right back Kyle Duncan fired a 22-yard shot that Johnson allowed to go through his hands. As the ball fell toward the goal line, Johnson scrambled and managed to keep the ball from going over the line. Or so he thought.

Referee Allen Chapman used VAR to determine that the ball had crossed the line and Duncan and the Red Bulls were awarded the goal.

During a postgame Zoom press conference with the media, Deila said his staff had seen a replay and claimed the ball wasn’t totally over the line.

“So, for me, if that’s happening then I can’t understand that’s possible,” he said. “You have to be sure that that that ball is inside. I saw it on the line. But maybe [the game officials] have an angle the others don’t have. If that ball is not in, then when you have all the equipment we have now, then it’s unbelievable.”

Duncan admitted he was convinced the shot he placed on net wasn’t a goal. “I was actually saying that this was not a goal because I thought it was on the line, but I was hoping that it was,” he said.

The Red Bulls defender got his wish.

“It came to the result that it was a good goal and I was pretty happy in the moment,” Duncan said. “I feel like we were putting everything out on the field and we really deserved that goal, like Jason [Pendant], Jason put that cross into the box and Danny [Royer] went up for the header and didn’t win it but all those things led up to me being in that spot and I was in the right spot to get that volley off and Sean Johnson just spilled [his save] and it was a goal.”

HOPING FOR THE BEST: Duncan gets his wish as his goal is counted

Kyle Duncan wasn’t convinced his shot went over the goal line. (Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports)

7. Red Bulls 1, NYCFC 1 (Aug. 22, 2018)

Despite playing with a two-man disadvantage, New York City FC managed to register a 1-1 draw in the fourth and final derby encounter of the regular season. City had two players sent off — one in each half — as the host team played the final 18 minutes of the match down two players at Yankee Stadium.

Each team finished with a 1-1-1 mark in the regular-season derby, although the Red Bulls also had earned a victory in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in June.

It was one of the most, if not the most physical game of the four-year series between the two rivals.

Referee Ted Unkel was like a human traffic light, awarding two red cards — both two NYCFC players — Eloi Amagat and Ebenezer Ofori — and six yellows. The Red Bulls were slapped with four yellow cards in a match that required seven minutes of second-half stoppage time.

Bradley Wright-Phillips scored for the Red Bulls in the 37th minute before David Villa equalized for NYCFC, playing with only 10 men, in the 52nd minute.

IN HIS OWN WORDS: David Villa explains why he is leaving NYCFC

David Villa scored with NYCFC having a man disadvantage in 2018. (Photo courtesy of NYCFC)

8. NYCFC 1, Red Bulls 0 (July 8, 2018)

In only his third game as New York City FC head coach, Domenec Torrent accomplished something the departed Patrick Vieira couldn’t do in two derby matches in 2018:

He beat the Red Bulls.

Now it must be noted that City’s 1-0 win over the Red Bulls wasn’t the prettiest of games, but until MLS hands out points for aesthetically pleasing performances, the result, before a season-high 30,027 fans at Yankee Stadium, will suffice. That might go double since the Red Bulls handled NYCFC a pair of 4-0 thrashings earlier this season — in the league May 5 and in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup June 6.

“Playing in front of a packed house, I’m pretty sure our fans would not be happy if we lost the third one to them,” said Jonathan Lewis, whose cross set up Maxi Moralez’s 85th-minute goal.

“It was an amazing game, maybe not the best quality, but we played against one of the best team,” Torrent said.

It certainly didn’t hurt that NYCFC shut down its No. 1 nemesis Bradley Wright-Phillips, who never came close to making goalkeeper Sean Johnson sweat. Wright-Phillips entered the match with 11 goals in 14 appearances against City.

TORRENT TALKS: NYCFC coach on his team’s playoff elimination

Dome Torrent defeated the Red Bulls at RBA in 2018. (Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports)

9. Red Bulls 1, NYCFC 0 (June 14, 2017)

In the only there’s no tomorrow match of this rivalry, the Red Bulls got past City in the Lamar Hunt/U.S. Open Cup fourth-round encounter at Red Bull Arena. NYCFC dominated the first half, but a calf injury to playmaking midfielder Maxi Moralez turned the tide for the hosts in the second half. Daniel Royer struck for the lone goal of the match in the 77th minute.

The Red Bulls moved on to play and host the Philadelphia Union at RBA the next Wednesday. An interesting tidbit: this was the lone Red Bulls derby match in which Luis Robles did not guard the net. Ryan Meara, a member of City’s 2015, side, registered the clean sheet.

And this had the smallest derby crowd to date at 11,311. The Red Bulls, afraid of NYCFC fans filling up the stadium and taking away their home-field advantage, decided to price tickets at $65.

GOAL OF THE WEEK: Red Bulls’ Daniel Royer wins it

Daniel Royer scored the lone goal in the 2017 Open Cup match. (Brad Penner/USA TODAY Photo)

10. NYCFC 2, Red Bulls 0 (June 24, 2017)

New York City FC came into the Red Bulls house Saturday and did what their Hudson River Derby rivals have done to them the past two years.

City dominated the MLS side at RBA.

Jack Harrison and Ben Sweat scored goals on either side of halftime as NYCFC recorded an emphatic 2-0 victory in the latest edition of the rivalry.

RBA has been nothing but a house of horrors for NYCFC, which had entered the game losing all four previous matches between the two teams here by a combined 9-2 score. That included a 1-0 elimination defeat in the Lamar Hunt/U.S. Open Cup June 14.

The Red Bulls might still lead the nascent series, 6-2, but third-place City (9-5-3, 30 points) moved seven points clear of the fifth-place Red Bulls (7-8-2, 23), who have experienced an up-and-down season.

Vieira produced a near-perfect game plan in denying Red Bulls striker Bradley Wright-Phillips the ball as the spine of his team — center backs Maxime Chanot and Alex Callens, central midfielders Alex Ring and Yangel Herrera and striker David Villa dominated the match.

Goalkeeper Sean Johnson, who was not severely tested, recorded the clean sheet.

RETURNING HOME: Sean Johnson on playing in Atlanta: ‘I have nothing to prove’

Sean Johnson backstopped a shutout in 2017. (Kyle Terada/USA TODAY Sports)

11. A second time for everything (July 17, 2022)

In many ways, winning the 2021 MLS Cup might have been easier for New York City FC than trying to post a victory over its archrivals at Red Bull Arena.

Until Sunday.

City walked out of the Harrison, N.J. venue with three points in it back pockets for only the second time after posting a 1-0 triumph over the Red Bulls in the 23rd edition before an announced sellout crowd of 25,219 at the Hudson River Derby.

Golden boy Taty Castellanos tallied the lone goal of the match as goalkeeper Sean Johnson recorded his second successive road shutout within four days. He and City had blanked FC Dallas on Wednesday night.

Until Sunday, the Cityzens had celebrated a win only once before a 2-0 result on June 24, 2017. They had but a 1-10-2 record as the visiting side against the Red Bulls.

The result kept City (11-4-5, 38 points) in second place in the MLS Eastern Conference and the Red Bulls (9-7-6, 33) in third. NYCFC also ran its winning streak to three games and unbeaten streak to five.

“We were motivated, we were hungry today, to get the win,” NYCFC interim head coach Nick Cushing said. “In previous games, their style has been more effective, and today we wanted to make sure that we had a good squad, we had a good team, and [that] we all had a really clear vision of how we wanted to play the game. We applied that today.”

Castellanos scored a highlight reel goal to snap the scoreless tie in the 69th minute. Santiago Rodrigues sent in a 40-yard cross from the right flank that the Argentine striker ran onto and volleyed home from five yards with the outside of his right foot past goalkeeper Carlos Coronel.

“We left a lot of space around us,” Coronel said. “The pass was incredible and as we all know Castellanos had a great goal. We had a really good first half but I think we were just missing the last ass at the end.”

Added Red Bulls head coach Gerhard Struber: “We have no pressure on the ball.”

The reigning MLS Golden Boot winner added to his league-high total of goals (13) as he scored his 50th MLS goal. Castellanos has scored 22 goals in his last 23 MLS matches.

“Last season, the Golden Boot speaks for itself, and then this year, he’s still scoring goals, he’s still up there, he’s still leading on the goal-scoring chart,” Cushing said. “I think for him, it’s the type of guy that he is. He’s a really good guy. He’s really committed. For myself, being interim head coach, he’s shown me full support and full dedication to the way I want to adjust the team.”

The first half was scoreless, yet an entertaining one as both sides pushed forward trying to solve each other. The intensity certainly was helped by the enthusiastic crowd.

The hosts dominated the opening 45 minutes, but could not sustain that in the second half as NYCFC took over.

“The first half we played very very well,” Coronel said. “Second half it was a little different for us. We definitely lost the pressure that we always have. Losing the pressure we gave NYCFC too much space.”

Of course, NYCFC had something to do with that.

“At halftime, but we asked the players to go and be themselves, to enjoy the game,” Cushing said. “We asked them to get the ball on the grass and enjoy passing it and enjoy playing it.”

The Red Bulls’ best opportunities in the first half included goalkeeper Sean Johnson knocking away Cristian Cassseres Jr.’s 20-yard attempt in the 19th minute and punching away Luquinhas’ shot in the 37th minute and Dylan Nealis putting the rebound over the crossbar in the 37th minute.

Coronel, didn’t have to work that hard, gathering every NYCFC shot in the opening 45 minutes.

It was more of the same in the second half as Johnson was called out to punch a Lewis Morgan try from the left side in the 59th minute.

Then it was the visitors turn.

Defender Tayvon Gray made a couple of nifty moves on the right side of the area but he was denied by Coronel in the 65th minute.

Only a minute later, Castellanos took a shot from the left side that forced Coronel to parry away.

A SECOND TIME FOR EVERYTHING: NYCFC beats Red Bulls for only the 2nd time at RBA

Valentin Castellanos (11) celebrates his goal with defender Thiago Martins (5) during the second half. (Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports)

 

12. Red Bulls 2, NYCFC 1 (May 10, 2015)

There’s a first time for everything and this was the very first derby confrontation. A curious crowd of 25,217 turned out at RBA to watch the Red Bulls register the win. Despite playing the final 56 minutes a man down after Matt Miazga accrued his second yellow card of the match, the Red Bulls still prevailed. Wright-Phillips started his scoring prowess against City with a brace — one goal in each half — offsetting Patrick Mullins’ score.

“It was a great feeling to score in a derby,” Wright-Phillips said. “It always is.”

JUST CHILL OUT: BWP’s advice to the nay-sayers

BWP scored in each half in 2015 for the Red Bulls. (Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports)

13. Red Bulls 3, NYCFC 0 (June 18, 2022)

John Tolkin, celebrating the Red Bulls’ win: “Obviously, we don’t like them very much and wherever you can get an edge obviously we’re gonna take it. ” (Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports)
Not only did the Red Bulls advancedto the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on June 18, but they also did so by eliminating their archrivals.
Combining second-half goals by Lewis Morgan, Luquinhas and Omir Fernandez and a staunch if not sometimes nasty team defense, the Red Bulls recorded a 3-0 quarterfinal triumph over 10-man New York City FC in a special Hudson River Derby at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J.
The Red Bulls, who reached the tournament’s semifinals for the first time since 2017, will play the winner of the Nashville SC-Sacramento Republic FC match, a game that will be played on June 29, in the semifinals in July.
They also continued their dominance in the HRD as they improved to 13-6-3 and remained unbeaten in three Open Cup derby encounters at 3-0. Both teams will tussle two more times in the regular season, but the Red Bulls managed to paint the town red once again.
City played the final 28 minutes a man down after Thiago Andrade head butted Sean Nealis in the 62nd minute as he saw red from referee Matthew Thompson.
“The red card we took was a big change in the game and we cannot put all the blame on this but I think obviously 10 against 11 away against Red Bull, it’s not easy to win games,” NYCFC defender Maxime Chanot said. “After that I think we were willing to fight but I am very frustrated tonight because I believe we made it a very tough experience for us by getting the card and having to play after that.”
The Red Bulls made life difficult for City, out fouling the visitors, 23-16, and getting into their heads.
“We’re a bit of a chippy, scrappy team,” Red Bulls defender John Tolkin said. “Obviously, we don’t like them very much and wherever you can get an edge obviously we’re gonna take it. I think we got in their heads a little bit. They kind of lost it. It’s simple things like that. They add up over time. We ended up winning this game. So it’s a good night.”
Goalkeeper Carlos Coronel, who played a steady match while not being seriously tested, registered the shutout.
After Thompson blew the final whistle, you could see the animosity between the two sides as it took a few minutes separate these two teams apart with players on both teams jawing at each other. The Red Bulls’ Tom Edwards received a red card at the conclusion of the match.
DOUBLING THEIR PLEASURE: Red Bulls reach Open Cup semis by closing the door on NYCFC
Lewis Morgan celebrating his goal vs. NYCFC in the Open Cup. (Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports)

14. NYCFC 5, Red Bulls 2 (Nov. 1, 2020)

If there was a crowd at Yankee Stadium, the fans certainly would have gotten their money’s worth in this edition of the derby Sunday night.

There were goals galore, leading changes and even some goalkeeping heroics.

New York City had plenty of heroes in its 5-2 emphatic victory over the Red Bulls in the closed-door match.

Quite appropriately, Taty Castellanos had the first and last words, scoring the opening and final goals while accruing a hat-trick and adding an assist. Castellanos entered the MLS contest with only two goals this season. Team captain Alex Ring fired home a spectacular, game-winning goal to snap a 2-2 tie in the closed-door match.

“Coming into the game I know I was playing well and I was helping the team, but the goals weren’t coming for me,” Castellanos said. “They finally did today. This was my first hat trick and to be able to help the team was the most important thing. With this being a rivalry game we had to step it up and play well and I’m just really happy.”

With both teams already having securing playoff berths in the postseason heavy Eastern Conference (10 of the 14 teams will qualify), the encounter was more of trying to earn a higher seed and home-field advantage, especially to avoid a play-in match.

The victory lifted NYCFC (11-8-3, 36 points) into fourth place in the conference beyond the eighth-place Red Bulls (8-9-5, 29), who had their five-game unbeaten streak and three-game road undefeated streak snapped.

“On some of those plays we were too lax when we needed to be firmer, stronger, get tighter on the guys, tackle harder,” said Brian White, who has scored three goals in his last four matches. “When it comes down to a team like us where we want to bring energy, we want to get tight on guys, not give them any space, press hard, attack fast, didn’t feel like we were up to that challenge today. We need to bring that every game, because that’s what has made us successful, and will make us successful, so it’s disappointing. ”

Not so for NYCFC head coach Ronny Deila.

“We played two good halves today, we didn’t start slow, but they are aggressive and hard to play against, especially in the beginning of games,” he said. “We get 1-0, they come back in 2-1, they had very strange goals. We just kept doing the same good things and we deserved to get the equalizer before the break. Then we just needed to do the same things we did in the first half, because we were a better team.”

HAT-TRICK HERO: Castellanos lifts NYCFC to emphatic 5-2 win over Red Bulls in Hudson River Derby

Taty Castellanos entered the match with two goals and left it with five. (Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports)

15. Red Bulls 1, NYCFC 1 (Sept. 22, 2021)

In the most dramatic finish in the seven-year history of the Hudson River Derby, the Red Bulls managed to pull out a 1-1 draw with nine-man New York City FC in the 12th minute of injury time at RBA.

Patryk Klimala converted an 11th-hour penalty kick to keep the Red Bulls flagging playoff hopes alive. After VAR assistance, it was ruled that NYCFC center back Maxime Chanot was called for a hand ball on a Klimala shot.

After referee Ismail Elfath consulted with VAR, he ruled a PK and Klimala powered a shot into the lower right corner past goalkeeper Sean Johnson.

Klimala’s goal was the latest goal scored in a regular-season game in MLS history, according to a league spokesman.

“I think he’s quality,” Red Bulls head coach Gerhard Struber said. “I expect from him that he scored from the penalty spot. He has the ability.”

“I’m very relieved, thanks to Patrick,” Red Bulls defender John Tolkin said. “I think it just shows the character of the guys. I think it shows that we still have that goal on our mind that’s playoffs and we’re going to do everything we can to get there.”

Castellanos scored the first goal of the match for City, which also had Keaton Parks red carded.

Referee Ismail Elfath certainly had a busy night, whistling 44 fouls – 23 on NYCFC – and doling nine yellow cards, five on the Red Bulls.

NYCFC (11-8-6) moved to 39 points while the Red Bulls (26 points) moved to 7-11-6.

Just getting this game played was considered an accomplishment. It originally was scheduled for Aug. 21, but after almost a 2 1/2 hour delay, the match was postponed due to an unplayable pitch at RBA. Lightning and heavy rains stopped the game from kicking off. When the rain subsided, game officials deemed the field waterlogged at around 10:45 p.m. The inclement weather came from the outer bands of Henri, a tropical storm that was on the verge of becoming a hurricane. The storm is expected to hit central Long Island late Sunday morning or early afternoon.

The teams had three days of rest before meeting again at Yankee Stadium (see below).

THE LATE, LATE, LATE SHOW: Klimala’s 11th-hour PK saves Red Bulls in draw with NYCFC

Patryk Klimala celebrates his equalizing goal in the 102nd minute. (Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports)

16. Red Bulls 4, NYCFC 0 (May 5, 2018)

From the opening kickoff to the final whistle, the Red Bulls showed New York City FC who was boss at RBA, rolling to an emphatic triumph in front of 25,219 spectators.

Kaku, was the man of the match, masterminding three first-half goals in the first half. He scored the first and set up subsequent scores by Florian Valot and Bradley Wright-Phillips. Derrick Etienne, Jr. added a second half goal as goalkeeper Luis Robles, who had a rather uneventful game, was credited with the shutout.

NYCFC (6-2-2, 20 points) hardly looked like the team that entered the match as the Eastern Conference leaders, especially after the opening minutes. The Red Bulls pestered the visiting side with their high-pressure tactics and never really allowed City to find its rhythm.

INTERNATIONAL DUTY: 6 Red Bulls are called up – Kaku, Lawrence, Long, Fernandez, Duncan, Casseres

Kaku produced some magic for the Red Bulls in 2018. (Keith Furman/FrontRowSoccer.com Photo)

17. Red Bulls 4, NYCFC 0 (June 6, 2018)

It seems no matter who the Red Bulls put in their lineup against New York City FC, the result seems to be just about the same: a win. The Red Bulls continued their domination in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup behind a 4-0 fourth-round victory over their rivals before 9,496 at RBA.

Vincent Bezecourt scored in the first half and Aaron Long in the second half to start the rout. Daniel Royer added a late brace for the Red Bulls, who eliminated City from the competition for the second consecutive year. In fact, NYCFC has never won an Open Cup game in four tries. The team was ousted by the Cosmos in 2015 and 2016.

For NYCFC, the game was notable due to the professional debut of 15-year-old Joe Scally of Lake Grove, N.Y., who replaced David Villa in the 57th minute.

SEVEN-FIGURE TRANSFER: NYCFC sells Scally to Borussia Monchengladbach; will start in 2021

Joe Scally made his pro debut in a Hudson River Derby match in 2018. (Photo courtesy of NYCFC)

18. Red Bulls 3, NYCFC 1 (June 28, 2015)

A derby-record crowd of 48,047 packed Yankee Stadium to watch the Red Bulls continue their dominance. Wright-Phillips (two goals) and Chris Duvall connected on goals seven minutes into the second half after McNamara gave the hosts the lead. Miazga gave the Red Bulls some breathing room with a second-half score.

“We’re definitely excited about the three points, but to come against your rivals, especially with all the build-up that they’re trying to put into it, we understand that,” Robles said. “It’s marketing. It’s going to be good for the league. We’re on board with that. But we want to make a statement that we were here first, and this is our turf and we’ll continue to defend it.”

BWP WITH LAFC: Report: Former Red Bulls scoring star to train with Supporters Shield winners

Bradley Wright-Phillips had a brace vs. NYCFC in 2015. (Photo courtesy of MLS)

19. Red Bulls 2, NYCFC 0 (Aug. 9, 2015)

I’ll let my lede for Newsday in its Aug. 10, 2015 edition tell the story:

Curses, foiled again.

New York City FC coach Jason Kreis’ frustration was never more apparent on national TV and on the replay screens at Red Bull Arena as he cursed to no one in particular after the Red Bulls scored the first goal of what turned into a 2-0 defeat Sunday night.

It was the third time in as many matches that NYC FC fell to its Hudson River rivals in as the teams concluded their first regular-season derby.

OK, back to the present. BWP found the net again, as did Felipe before 25,219, the largest derby crowd at RBA.

Oh yeah, back to Kreis, who was seen cursing when Wright-Phillips scored the first goal from point-blank range off a marvelous Kemar Lawrence feed in the 21st minute in which defender Jefferson Mena slipped trying for the ball.

“Their player fouled us, but [the referee] gave them the ball,” Kreis said. “It was a ridiculous call. It led directly to their goal. From my point of view, he was very poor tonight.”

FANTASTIC TIMING: Kljestan, Felipe break open close game with 1st goals of the season

Felipe had many reasons for celebrate his 2015 goal.  (Noah K. Murray/USA TODAY Sports)

20. Red Bulls 1, NYCFC 0 (Sept. 25, 2021)

It took a Bronx native to lift the Red Bulls over New York City FC Saturday night.

Omir Fernandez, who grew up 23 blocks from Yankee Stadium, tallied the lone goal to boost the Red Bulls to a 1-0 win. The victory was the Red Bulls’ first at the stadium since their 7-0 shellacking of City in May 2016.

Goalkeeper Carlos Coronel made several outstanding saves to record his sixth clean sheet of the season. He was aided by the stellar play of center back Sean Nealis amd by Kyle Duncan, who shut down and frustrated NYCFC’s top goal-scorer, Taty Castellanos (13 goals).

The victory kept the Red Bulls undefeated in this season’s Hudson River Derby series with NYCFC, after recording an 11th-hour equalizer at RNA, 1-1, four days prior.

Moreover, the Red Bulls (8-11-6, 30 point) extended their unbeaten streak to three as they gained three valuable points in their quest to get back into the Eastern Conference playoff race. NYCFC (39) dropped to 11-9-6.

“We deserved to win,” Red Bulls head coach Gerhard Struber said.. “Absolutely, it’s a big win. It’s a big feeling to be away against the team on this level.”

He later added: “We worked so hard for the momentum, so hard to come back.”

NYCFC entered the match with a bit of a disadvantage as Maxime Chanot and Keaton Parks, were forced to be spectators due to red cards they incurred in the 1-1 deadlock.

Fernandez produced his heroics in the 43rd minute. Kyle Duncan used a few moves to get an open pass to Fernandez, who slotted the ball home.

“It was like an unexpected moment for me,” Fernandez said. “I’m always in the box always trying to score whenever I can. When I saw the ball coming straight at me, I don’t know I describe it to the guys. I see everything just happen at once, like all this joy come to me.”

After the ball entered the net, the Bronx-born Fernandez said that he had “a lot of emotion, too many to process.”

“It’s like slow motion. I’m just trying to process what just happened, trying to catch my breath, trying to do my job on the field.”

Fernandez accomplished the feat in front of his parents. “It was special for me to score here in front of my parents,” he said. “They probably drove 10 minutes from the house, so it was something so meaningful for me to score and celebrate right in front of them.”

BRONX BOMBER: Fernandez, who grew up 23 blocks from Yankee Stadium, leads Red Bulls over NYCFC

Omir Fernandez celebrates his goal while pointing to a Red Bull fan and a scarf who is sitting in a sea of red. (Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports)

21. Red Bulls 1, NYCFC 0 (Oct. 17, 2021)

Had the MLS Cup Playoffs began that day, the Red Bulls and NYCFC would be on the outside looking in. They were in eighth and ninth place in the Eastern Conference, but the Red Bulls have momentum and NYCFC doesn’t as we were reminded in the latest edition of the HRD.

The Red Bulls walked out of Red Bull Arena with a 1-0 win in Harrison, N.J. Midfielder Cristian Casseres, Jr. who rejoined the team after returning from a World Cup qualifier in Chile 48 hours prior, tallied the decisive goal in the third minute.

Both teams have 11-11-7 records and 40 points apiece, but the Red Bulls boast a seven-game unbeaten streak (5-0-2) while City has struggling find points and the net. The Cityzens, who have been blanked in four consecutive matches, are 1-5-3 in their last nine matches. NYCFC hasn’t scored in 416 minutes.

The Red Bulls won this year’s derby, 2-0-1, accruing seven out of a possible nine points while NYCFC earned a measly one. Both teams have five games remaining in the regular season.

“First of all, New York is red,” a pleased Red Bulls head coach Gerhard Struber said in his post-game press conference. “It makes us, everyone, very, very happy. I think we deserve the win. When we look back on the 90 minutes, I think my boys, with our staggering, with our behavior, in our pressing moments, we kill I think from the first second every hope that they can create something.”

City came close to equalizing in the 82nd minute when Malte Amundsen’s long-range strike hit the crossbar and bounded away.

“I think that we really limited them in terms of build out for the most part,” Red Bulls captain Sean Davis said. “They tried to bypass our press and go long. I am really happy with the team performance, from the backline to the forwards. I just think we did a really good job of adjusting during the game.”

Red Bulls goalkeeper Carlos Coronel recorded his third consecutive clean sheet and 11th overall.

PAINTING THE TOWN RED: Red Bulls continue their momentum in derby win while reeling NYCFC feels blue again

Cristian Casseres, Jr. celebrates his goal. (Dennis Schneidler-USA TODAY Sports)

 

22. Red Bulls 1, NYCFC 1 (Aug. 25, 2017)

Things usually have a way of evening themselves out at the end of the day.

On that Friday night, that wasn’t the case for New York City FC and the Red Bulls in their 1-1 draw in the Hudson River Derby at Red Bull Arena.

There was little question the Red Bulls were the superior team. They outshot City 21-9. They held the ball for 61.9 percent of the time, although it seemed much, much more. They also hit the woodwork twice on either side of halftime.

Second-place NYCFC (14-7-5 47 points) knew it escaped with a precious road point, even if the visitors failed to keep pace with Eastern Conference leaders Toronto FC (15-3-8, 53).

“I will take the points. I’m really happy with the points,” Vieira said. “We played against a really good team that made it difficult for us.”

Despite their domination, the fourth-place Red Bulls (12-10-3, 39) walked out of RBA a frustrated side, knowing they deserved better in what turned into the first tie in the 10-game rivalry that has spanned three seasons.

“A draw feels like a big disappointment because of the way we played and the way we dominated most of the match,” Marsch said.

Gonzalo Veron scored for the Red Bulls, Maxi Moralez for NYCFC.

HE’LL BE BACK FOR MORE: Moralez signs new 2-year DP deal with MLS, NYCFC

Maxi Moralez helped NYCFC to a draw in 2019. (Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports)

23. NYCFC 2, Red Bulls 1 (Aug. 24, 2019)

A slow start and a better finish turned out to be the recipe for New York City FC as it recorded a 2-1 victory over the Red Bulls.

After spotting the Red Bulls an early 1-0 lead, City came back behind goals by Maxi Moralez and Heber scored before a crowd of 28,895. Only a stellar performance by Red Bulls goalkeeper Luis Robles stopped NYCFC from turning the game into a rout.

Alex Muyl tallied for the visitors.

A WILD AND CRAZY ONE: NYCFC secure a 5-3 CCL win at San Carlos behind Heber’s hat-trick

Heber found the net for NYCFC in 2019. (Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports)

 

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.