DC look better than in 2025 when they finished dead last in MLS, but remain a work in progress while adjusting to coach René Weiler and while trying to get a new high-priced Designated Player in form.
The Red Bulls enter the 33rd installment of the Hudson River Derby with a defense conceding lots of goals, but also with a red-hot forward in Julian Hall and a perfect five-for-five record against NYCFC in knockout games.
The 2026 season started with a four-match unbeaten run, but New York City has since gone six MLS games without a win, a period of struggle defined by unusual defensive frailty and an attack reliant on the brilliance of two players.
Montréal is onto a second coach of the 2026 season and a third in the last calendar year, but a combination of dangerous attackers like Prince Owusu and a new defensive system could pose problems for New York City FC.
Before facing New York City FC at Yankee Stadium, Laurel Pfahler of Queen City Press fills us in on FC Cincinnati's reworked roster, their slow start to the season, and their unexpectedly leaky defense.
