3 things we learned from NYCFC's 5-1 win against the New York Red Bulls

On Saturday, New York City FC and the New York Red Bulls faced off in the second Hudson River Derby of the season.  The Pigeons won the earlier game, but this one meant so much more.  They were desperate to get out of their winless streak and did not want to increase the gap between them and the New Jersey side.

Therefore, NYCFC knew this was a game they had to win.  Plus, they really wanted the Hudson River Derby trophy and to sweep the Red Bulls in the regular season.  While the Pigeons have had more success over the years, the red side still has the edge over them with a 15-9-4 record.

The past is the past though and nothing is better than the present.  This time around, NYCFC rained goals at Red Bull Arena, beating the New Jersey team 5-1.  Fans could celebrate because the Pigeons won the Hudson River Derby after sweeping their rivals.  Plus, the winless streak is finally over!

Unquestionably, this is a derby fans will remember for years to come.  It is unknown what the future holds for the rest of the season, but at least everyone can celebrate.  Here are three things we learned from NYCFC’s offensively beautiful win over the Red Bulls.

3 things we learned from NYCFC’s dominant Hudson River Derby win

1. New York is blue but so is New Jersey

After winning the home derby 2-1, NYCFC’s 5-1 win secured the regular season sweep of the Red Bulls.  The result also saw the Boys in Blue lift the Hudson River Derby trophy.  This declared that New York is blue for 2024.

But, RBNY plays in New Jersey.  There are also NYCFC fans in the state that is not New York.  Hence, New Jersey is also blue.  The entire tristate area is blue.  The home team might have dominated the series early on in the Pigeons’ tenure, but the Bronx side is slowly climbing to even out the record.

More importantly, this was a performance NYCFC can be proud of.  The boys put in the work, scored five goals, and only gave up one to their rivals.  This was exactly what the team needed.  Perhaps this will be a confidence booster when they switch sides and call the New Jersey stadium home on Wednesday against FC Cincinnati.

2. The Homegrown players keep scoring

Last week, James Sands scored his first goal for the club, securing a late draw against Inter Miami CF.  This time, Tayvon Gray scored his first goal in blue, putting the cherry on top of a beautiful evening.

The right-back scored the fifth and final goal of the night in the 68th minute.  He was outside the box and nobody from the New Jersey team was marking him.  As a result, a pass from Maxi Moralez gave Gray the perfect opportunity.  The long strike rolled into the back of the net, and finally, two more Homegrown players have goals with NYCFC in back-to-back weeks.

Gray’s goal also highlights how much the defender has improved offensively this year.  For so long, there were questions about whether he could be the attacking right-back the club needs.  At this rate, he has proved himself and hopefully will continue to improve heading into 2025.

3. NYCFC is back in the playoffs

After the match, it was later confirmed that NYCFC clinched a spot in the playoffs.  This comes after they failed to do so the previous season.  So not only did the Pigeons embarrass their rivals in their home stadium, but they also confirmed they will play beyond Decision Day.

This is great news after a roller coaster season.  Yet, there is still work to do.  The Boys in Blue must try to get as many points as possible in their next three games.  Fourth place is not locked in quite yet, and Orlando City SC has jumped into fourth.  At least NYCFC sits in fifth place and has a chance to grab that coveted spot.  Cincinnati will be a tough challenge, but there is a huge possibility they could beat Nashville SC and CF Montréal.  Ideally, all nine points would be the route the Pigeons take.