(Credit: Steven Ryan of Newsday Sports)
For the seventh time in three years, it’s Derby Day on the Hudson River.
The New York Red Bulls host New York City FC Wednesday night (8 p.m., NYCFC.com/NewYorkRedBulls.com), the seventh edition of the Hudson River Derby and the first to occur outside of Major League Soccer action. For the first time, the sides face off in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, this matchup occurring in the fourth round of the competition.
The Boys in Blue will enter hoping history will not be repeating itself, they being the worse side of the two when they meet. The Red Bulls have won five of the first six meetings, outscoring NYCFC 18-5, including the infamous 7-0 result at Yankee Stadium a year ago. Striker Bradley Wright-Phillips accounted for eight of those goals, while midfielder Sacha Kljestan assisted eight himself.
The lone victory for Wednesday’s visitors came in the Bronx, with the hosts winning all three of the previous meetings at Red Bull Arena by a combined score of 8-2.
With Wednesday’s matchup coming in cup action, one of the two sides must emerge victorious.
Someone has to advance — ask players or managers from either side, and they’re confident it will be them heading to the competition’s Round of 16.
“It’s going to be a tricky one but I believe we are in a good period at the moment, we’re playing some good football, and we’re going to go there with our philosophy and try to play our game,” NYCFC manager Patrick Vieira told NYCFC.com.
“I think it sets up for a great game and a game we’re really excited for,” Red Bulls manager Jesse Marsch told reporters after training Monday. “We know we’ll get their best and they know we’ll give our best.”
Out of action this past weekend due to FIFA World Cup qualifiers, both teams were able to rest and recover from brutal stretches in their schedules.
The extended break allowed time for key players on both sides to make recoveries and be available for the matchup. On the blue side, midfielder Andrea Pirlo is fully fit and recovered from a knee injury he sustained against Real Salt Lake on May 17, adding another option for Vieira.
But while one headache went away, another emerged for the manager as centerback Maxime Chanot will likely not be available for Wednesday’s match. Having suffered an injury in his club’s latest match against the Philadelphia Union, Chanot seemed to suffer another against the Netherlands when playing for his native Luxembourg, putting a question mark on his availability for Wednesday.
For the Reds, central defender Aurelien Collin is prepared to return to action after an abdominal strain kept him out for the past eight matches.
“Today I felt great. I’m very happy to be back,” Collin told reporters Thursday, the same day head coach Jesse Marsch confirmed he’d be available for the match. “It’s always the decision of the coach, but right now if he asks me to play, right now I’m ready.”
Neither side has ever won the U.S. Open Cup — the Red Bulls in 18 attempts, NYCFC in two — so beating their most bitter rival is the first step towards putting the trophy in their cabinet for the first time.
There are three other matchups between the teams on the docket this season, including one 10 days later in the same venue in MLS action, but none will share the high stakes this one has.
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Follow Brian Fonseca on Twitter @briannnnf for updates. Email him at brianfilipefonseca@gmail.com with questions, concerns, tips or story ideas.
