NYCFC vs New York Red Bulls preview: The first Hudson River Derby of 2024

New York City FC will want revenge after they lost the Hudson River Derby last year after a loss and a draw to the New York Red Bulls during the regular season.  2023 was also the first year a trophy was on the line for the derby, and the red side lifted it after the second game.

Hence, NYCFC knows they must win at home if they want a chance for the trophy.  The New Jersey team is having a great season and currently sits in third place.  The Pigeons sit in fourth thanks to their recent run.  While they are hot, the derby will be the most challenging game of the last week.  This will show the players' character and whether they can consistently compete.

Meanwhile, Santiago Rodríguez has been doing extremely well for the Pigeons this year.  The NYCFC player, along with Matt Freese, has kept NYCFC in games with how they play and their effort.  He will need to continue his high-performing games to help lead his side to a derby win.

Like always, the fixture should be a good one.  Here is a preview of the Hudson River Derby between NYCFC and RBNY.

Date

NYCFC and the Red Bulls will battle it out on Saturday, May 18.

Time

The game is at 7:30 PM ET.                  

Location

The match will occur in Flushing in Queens, NY at Citi Field.

How to watch

Fans can watch the match on Apple TV via the MLS Season Pass.

Weather

The weather is looking better for Saturday evening.  At kickoff, it should be cloudy and around 63 degrees.  There is a slight chance of rain, with the highest chance at 31%.

Injury report

Maxi Moralez (right knee), Strahinja Tanasijević (red card), and Rio Hope-Gund (right leg) are all out for the derby.

Players to watch

It is unlikely he will start the derby, but supporters should be intrigued to see what Nick Cushing does with Malachi Jones.  That is why he will be the player to watch.  He has had some good appearances over the last month and could be impactful off of the bench.  Oh, and he is similar to Andres Jasson, who likes to collect fouls.  That is always great during a high-energy and gritty derby.

Fans should also watch Lewis Morgan on RBNY.  The forward has nine goals to his name in 2024 and is a major threat in the box.  The Pigeons must close him down like they did with Christian Benteke of D.C. United during the long homestand.  Otherwise, he should find the back of the net, regardless of how Matt Freese does between the sticks.

Prediction

After NYCFC defeated Toronto FC and the Philadelphia Union on the road, it would make sense to predict a positive result.  The confidence level of the team is high, but the same goes for the Red Bulls.  As a result, the prediction is that the match will end in a 2-2 draw, with the Pigeons scoring late to save a point.