NYCFC Rolls By Red Bulls To Continue Climb Up Standings

 

NYCFC players with the Hudson River Derby trophy. Photo provided by NYCFC.

New York City Football Club won a thriller over the Red Bulls, 3-2, on Saturday night at Sports Illustrated Stadium.

NYCFC swept the Hudson River Derby this season, as they also won, 2-0, at Citi Field on May 17. Even though the Red Bulls did beat NYCFC in last fall's playoffs, it is the second straight regular season they have swept the Red Bulls.

This was NYCFC's third win out of the four games they had in 11 days, and they improved to 17-5-10, with 56 points, as they move in to third place in the MLS Eastern Conference.

They are a tick ahead of Inter Miami, who also has 56 points with a record of 16-8-6, and they have two games in hand on NYCFC. Charlotte is right behind them with 53 points (17-2-13).

NYCFC didn't take long to score in this one, as Nicolas Fernandez Mercau broke through in the second minute. It was NYCFC's fastest goal of this season, and the first that came within the opening five minutes of a game. It was Fernandez Mercau's second goal of the season.

The Red Bulls tied it in the 23rd minute, when Julian Hall, off a feed from Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, buried one from the center of the box.

It didn't take long for NYCFC to get the lead back, as Andres Perea scored in the 26th, and it also was his second goal of the season. That make it 2-1, and that would be the score going into halftime. 

The second half opened like the first, as a goal came within the opening two minutes. Emil Forsberg buried one in the 47th to tie the game, and it was his 11th of the season. Choupo-Moting and Wikelman Carmona got assists on the goal.

Thiago Martins got NYCFC the lead back in the 65th minute when he swooped in to slam home a ricochet off the post, towards the center of the box, after Red Bulls goalkeeper Carlos Coronel made a save on an attempt resulting from an NYCFC free kick. 

This was Martins' first goal of the season, and first ever in a Hudson River Derby match. He had another goal contribution in the series when he had an assist against the Red Bulls on May 17, 2022, in a game NYCFC won, 2-0.

NYCFC Head Coach Pascal Jansen said of his team winning the Hudson River Derby trophy, "It's massive. I was pleasantly surprised by how many blue shirts I saw in this red stadium because I was told at the beginning of the week that the people from New York, from our side, do not like to come to this stadium. But I'm hoping they will be here many more times with a bigger crowd, because we love to give them these performances. When I saw the trophy come into the dressing room, I was a bit surprised because I wasn't aware of it. Winning the two games this season against the Red Bulls means a lot to our fans. But also, the response in that room was massive because we have a few guys from here as well, so they know exactly what it feels like to win this trophy."