Offense comes alive after NYCFC wins 5-1 in the Hudson River Derby

The simple truth is this: New York City FC and the New York Red Bulls do not like one another.  There is a reason the Hudson River Derby is always chippy, chaotic, dramatic, and more.  The blue team and red team want the world to know that New York is their color.  This is also despite the fact one team refuses to represent New Jersey since they play in New Jersey.

So, it was not shocking Saturday’s derby was another crazy one.  NYCFC entered the game with an interesting Starting XI.  One can assume Birk Risa was not ready, so Justin Haak slotted in next to Thiago Martins in the backline.  However, Nick Cushing opted to not start one of the young wingers and instead started Andrés Perea.  The midfielder is talented, but it was slightly shocking to see him play on the wings.  He did move more into the midfield when defending.

Santiago Rodríguez, who was suspended due to yellow card accumulation, was missed in the derby, but the head coach still had a talented Starting XI.  Again, a few of his decisions were questionable before the match, especially since this one the Pigeons had to win. But did the head coach make the right roster choices?

The Inter Miami CF draw from last week might have sparked something, for NYCFC was an offensive powerhouse in this derby.  The Pigeons beat RBNY 5-1 to finally end the winless streak.  Moreover, they earned the Hudson River Derby trophy for 2024 after sweeping the Red Bulls.

NYCFC is blue after Hudson River Derby win

The dramatic-as-always derby got off to a fast start when NYCFC took the lead early.  A poor giveaway by Red Bull goalkeeper, Carlos Coronel, saw the ball fall right to Maxi Moralez in the box.  The Argentine took a few seconds to maneuver himself into a shooting position and shot the ball into the bottom-left corner of the goal in the fifth minute.  The gift was exactly what the Pigeons needed, but nobody thought they would be gifted another two minutes later.

In the seventh, the Red Bulls had another giveaway.  This time, Alonso Martínez intercepted the ball in the home team's half of the pitch.  He ran towards the goal with perfect speed and slotted the ball home into the bottom-right corner.  This put NYCFC up 2-0 and boosted their confidence.

The Red Bulls got one back in the 28th minute after they were wrongfully given a corner kick.  Dante Vanzeir put the team within one, but NYCFC pounced again two minutes later.  One of the red team’s players had to step off the pitch for treatment, so they were down a man.  The Pigeons took their chance to get another, and it happened.  Tayvon Gray found Perea in the box and the midfielder headed the ball past Coronel. This was the answer for everyone who questioned why he started.

NYCFC was not done in the first half.  In stoppage time, Kevin O’Toole picked out Martínez, who was in the center of the box.  The Costa Rican received the ball, interestingly shot it where it slightly bounced off the ground, and secured a 4-1 lead at halftime.

Many fans would have loved for the Bronx side to score more in the second half.  The Red Wedding is still remembered all of these years later.  The 7-0 loss at home was one of the worst matches played by NYCFC, so supporters hoped the team would do the same in New Jersey.

Instead, the Red Bulls came out ready to play in the second half.  They attacked with fury, desperately clawing for a goal.  This put the Pigeons on the defense more than they would have liked. 

However, that did not stop NYCFC from scoring again.  In the 68th minute, Moralez was in the box with defenders surrounding him.  The midfielder turned around and passed the ball to Gray.  The right-back was outside the box near the left half, and nobody marked him.  So, he took his shot, and the ball charged into the goal.  This was Gray’s first goal with the Bronx side, which is incredible since he is a Bronx native.

The Pigeons got more into the game after the fifth goal but still had more defensive work to do.  Alas, the New Jersey team could not find the back of the net again.

It might not have been a blue wedding, but it sure rained blue at Red Bull Arena.  Most of the drama was because of NYCFC, but the craziness of the game was still alive and well.  For once there was a lack of fighting and arguing, which is good to see.  This was a brilliant game though, and supporters of the real New York team could go to sleep happily.

Finally, there is one more thing to say: New York is blue.