The first Hudson River Derby of the 2022 Major League Soccer season takes place at Red Bull Arena on Sunday as the hometown New York Red Bulls host New York City FC.
Both teams are in contention for first place in the Eastern Conference as the Red Bulls are third with 33 points, while the Boys in Blue are just two points ahead of them in second.
Match preview
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At long last, it seems as though the club from Harrison, New Jersey, have learned the Red Bull way of playing, as the high press has looked potent and difficult to defend all season.
That approach has served them well throughout the year, as they look like a more patient team willing to wait for the right opportunity to strike, while not panicking when trailing.
They demonstrated that poise last Saturday, drawing FC Cincinnati 1-1, picking up four points from losing positions in two of their previous three encounters.
It took longer than he would have hoped, but the players are buying into that system employed by Gerhard Struber, forcing their opponents into several unforced errors thanks to all of their pressure.
Hanging back while sustaining lots of pressure on the back end has rarely been an issue for this team, who have continued their stingy defensive play from a season ago, currently second in the Eastern Conference in terms of goals conceded with 21.
At the beginning of this campaign, it was their impressive form on the road which captured the headlines with this team, but at the moment, it has been the complete opposite, as they come into this encounter unbeaten at Red Bull Arena in eight successive matches in all competitions.
One of those triumphs came against the Pigeons at the U.S. Open Cup when they held the reigning champions to three shots on goal, while scoring on three of their five efforts on target, winning 3-0.
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It looks like the struggles in the Bronx were a mere hiccup for the Boys in Blue, who have won consecutive MLS games for the first time since late May.
Their 1-0 victory over Dallas earlier this week was the first time since the end of May that they had won a road encounter, scoring on their one effort on target while only conceding one themselves.
That run of good form has put Nick Cushing's team back in the hunt for the top spot in the Conference, currently just a point behind the Philadelphia Union with a game in hand.
They may be close to the Red Bulls in proximity, but this group are not similar to them in terms of style, as NYC are a lot more proactive and like to maintain possession for long stretches, plus they usually have the ball for 60% or more in a 90-minute encounter.
The Pigeons can depend on numerous individuals to find the back of the net as eight players have tallied multiple times in 2022, while they have an embarrassment of riches regarding playmakers with 18 assists shared between eight players.
NYCFC have not lost all season when drawing first blood and rarely give you even a half chance when in front, posting seven shutout victories throughout this MLS campaign.
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Team News
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Lewis Morgan put home the equaliser for the Red Bulls versus Cincinnati last Saturday from the penalty spot, his ninth of the campaign, while he, Luquinhas, and Omir Fernandez each scored in their 3-0 victory against NYC at the U.S. Open Cup last month when Carlos Coronel stopped three shots to collect a clean sheet.
Aaron Long has had a stellar season on the backline for this team, and he was the only player selected to the all-star roster for that game next month against the Liga MX stars in Minnesota.
Morgan, Fernandez and Patryk Klimala are tied for first on the team in terms of assists with three each and John Tolkin is second in the league regarding interceptions with 39.
Lucas Monzon is still out with a pulled hamstring, AJ Marcucci has an issue with his shoulder, Wikelman Carmona and Andres Reyes are questionable with foot issues and Tom Edwards is also a question mark because of an ankle injury.
Defender Jason Pendant who has been primarily a reserve with the Red Bulls, has been transferred to French club Quevilly-Rouen in Ligue 2, while Ashley Fletcher has returned to Watford in the Championship after his loan deal expired.
Heber had the only goal for NYCFC on Wednesday in the victory at Toyota Stadium, his fifth of the campaign, moving him into a tie for second on the team alongside Talles Magno.
A stingy backline aided goalkeeper Sean Johnson as Thiago Martins, Alfredo Morales and Maxime Chanot only allowed one shot on target, helping Johnson earn his MLS-leading ninth clean sheet this season.
Johnson was one of three players from the defending champions selected for the all-star game, along with Alexander Callens and Valentin Castellanos, who leads the league in goals with 12.
Callens is questionable for this encounter with a lower-body issue, Maxi Moralez missed their midweek fixture with a problem in his upper body, Anton Tinnerholm has a lower body issue as well and Keaton Parks is dealing with a calf strain.
New York Red Bulls possible starting lineup:
Coronel; Tolkin, Long, D. Nealis, Edwards; Casseres, Amaya; Morgan, Luquinhas, Barlow; Klimala
New York City FC possible starting lineup:
Johnson; Gray, Martins, Amundsen, Chanot; Andrade, Acevedo, Pereira; Magno, Rodriguez; Castellanos
We say: New York Red Bulls 2-1 New York City FC
These are two evenly matched teams on paper, having both allowed the same amount of goals, though Red Bull Arena is the deciding factor in this one, as the home side have settled into quite the groove there, and when that home crowd is on you, it can be highly challenging to compete against them and that high press.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Joel Lefevre
