New York City FC returns to Yankee Stadium to face Red Bull New York in the 35th-ever Hudson River Derby. To learn more about the Red Bulls, New York Soccer Journal spoke to Michael Battista, who is a senior writer here but who also covers RBNY for NYC Sports Nation: Here is your NYCFC vs Red Bull New York preview.
• League Form: W-L-D-L-D
• Record: 8W, 6D, 11L | 30 points, 10th place
• Scoring Leader: Julian Hall, 9 goals
• Assist Leader: Cade Cowell, 5 assists
1. Six-game winless streak ended
New York Soccer Journal: Red Bull New York snapped its six-game winless streak with a 1-0 victory over Columbus Crew, thanks to a late goal from Ronald Donkor. With RBNY right on the cusp of a playoff spot entering the derby, how important was that win?
Michael Battista: I think it was monumental. Post-World Cup has been a struggle, totally negating a stellar run of form beforehand where the team went four unbeaten with three wins. Last weekend was only their second win since Lionel Messi blew it vs Spain in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final in the Meadowlands.
Red Bull knows how tight this Eastern Conference is. Fifth and 12th place are only separated by 10 points. A single result can totally reshape a vibe, and a chance of being in the MLS Cup Playoffs or not.
It was also important for both sides of the field. Ethan Horvath has had a bad year as RBNY starter since he joined in the offseason from Europe. Saturday marked just his third clean sheet with the team. The second only came a few weeks ago against Seattle on the road. So that confidence boost will be big for him, even if it was against a struggling Columbus (who, to be fair, is now in the 2026 US Open Cup Final). On the offensive side, Ronald Donkor scoring a late winner is huge for him after his great play from the early season slowed down. He was assisted by Cameron Harper, who got his first start and has had two late-game goal contributions since he's returned from long-term injury. So that always helps.
2. Julian Hall goalless since May
NYSJ: Julian Hall has a team-high nine goals this season, but hasn’t scored since May 13 — a 12-game goal drought. What’s led to Hall’s struggles in front of goal?
MB: He's a teenager; it's to be expected. There's probably a lot of factors but one might be fatigue. Technically, in his fourth season with Red Bull New York's first team, he's on pace to break his 26-cap personal best from last season, and he's already tripled his minutes played. And in there might lie the issue. Playing this many games, sometimes going 65 to 90 minutes every week, wears on a player. And a young one like Hall will need to figure that out.
