After snapping its lengthy seven-game winless streak in MLS play against Real Salt Lake in Utah, New York City FC returns to Yankee Stadium to face Red Bull New York in the Hudson River Derby.
This won't be the most consequential derby of all time — that belongs to the playoff meeting in 2024, won 2-0 by the Red Bulls at Citi Field — but there is still plenty at stake in Friday night's contest.
"We're very aware of what's at stake," said head coach Pascal Jansen in his pre-match press conference. "It's gonna be an intense game no matter what. For us, it's mainly about making sure that we keep a blue head, keep things under control, stick to the plan that we will make, and make sure that we get a good result."
With NYCFC sitting in eighth place with 32 points and the Red Bulls just outside a playoff spot in 10th with 30 points, a win for the team from Harrison, New Jersey would see them move ahead of their bitter rivals and into a wild-card spot.
It's fair to say the Red Bulls need to win this match more, given they are currently on track to miss the playoffs, but three points for New York City would go a long way towards providing breathing room over the Red Bulls plus the other teams on the fringes of the Eastern Conference playoff race, like DC United and Toronto FC.
NYCFC's remaining schedule post RBNY
| Opponent | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta United | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | Saturday, September 26 |
| Chicago Fire | Soldier Field | Saturday, October 10 |
| Inter Miami | Nu Stadium | Wednesday, October 14 |
| LAFC | Citi Field | Saturday, October 17 |
| Orlando City | Inter.co Stadium | Saturday, October 24 |
| Atlanta United | Citi Field | Wednesday, October 28 |
| CF Montréal | Citi Field | Saturday, October 31 |
| DC United | Audi Field | Saturday, November 7 |
After the Hudson River Derby, NYCFC's schedule doesn't get any easier. They have to travel to Mercedes-Benz Stadium next weekend, where they'll be without Matt Freese as he links up with the United States men's national team, which plays Peru the same night NYCFC plays at Atlanta United FC, on Saturday, September 26.
Coming out of the September international break, New York City then faces a daunting three-game week in October, headlined by road matches against Robert Lewandowski-led Chicago Fire FC and, three days later, Lionel Messi-led Inter Miami CF, on short rest.
The grueling slate ends with a rescheduled home match on October 17 against LAFC, featuring stars Heung-min Son and Denis Bouanga. It's not easy to see where the points will come from in those three fixtures, and the same could be said for NYCFC's next match after LAFC: a road contest against Antoine Griezmann and Orlando City SC.
The schedule eases up from there with home matches against Atlanta United, CF Montréal, then Decision Day on the road against DC United, but it's not uncharacteristic for New York City to drop points against weaker opponents, and they've already lost to Montréal and DC this season.
With several difficult matches remaining, NYCFC desperately needs three points against the Red Bulls to put some distance between the teams below them and solidify a hold on a playoff spot.
Red Bull New York's remaining end-of-season schedule is even harder than NYCFC's — they face the likes of St. Louis City SC, unbeaten in 17 matches, plus Inter Miami, New England Revolution, and Supporters' Shield favorites Nashville SC — but they have five home games compared to New York City's three.
In what could be the last-ever Hudson River Derby match played at Yankee Stadium, a win over the Red Bulls would put NYCFC in a strong position heading into the final stretch of the season.
