NYCFC vs. New York Red Bulls: Where MLS' Hudson River derby could be won or lost

NYCFC will host the Red Bulls at Yankee Stadium this Saturday for the first Hudson River derby of 2024. With both teams sitting pretty in the top four of the Eastern Conference, the stakes are higher than ever. The winner will move within catching distance of league leader Inter Miami; the loser could slip out of a guaranteed playoff spot.

With so much riding on the derby, here's where we think the match could be won or lost:

1. On-field tactics

NYCFC and the Red Bulls may share a city, but their styles could not be more different. NYCFC evolved into a low-block counterattacking outfit under head coach Nick Cushing in 2024, relying on defensive solidity at the back and quick breaks down the flanks to score goals. This is a big departure from the free-flowing style the team championed in its early years and an even bigger departure from the style of its famous sister team, Manchester City.

It's a change, but it's been a welcome so far. NYCFC bounced back from a horrendous season start to recapture a winning record by leveraging these conservative tactics.

The Red Bulls, meanwhile, have a different idea. In 2024, they adopted their sister team RB Leipzig's philosophy of "intensity is our identity" and took a breathtakingly offensive approach. It's worked brilliantly: only Inter Miami has managed more goals than them in MLS this season.

NYCFC has shown it's content to sit back and absorb pressure, but the Red Bulls are likely to press harder than anyone else in the league. City must be pitch-perfect to prevent the Red Bulls from breaking through. 

Advantage: Red Bulls

2. Defensive solidity

NYCFC and the Red Bulls offer some of the most exciting young defenders in the league. NYCFC's Kevin O'Toole has looked sharp on the left flank, while the Red Bulls's off-season signing Noah Eile has impressed at center back.

In a tense, fiery match like the Hudson River derby, cool heads matter on defense. NYCFC has its rival beat here. The Red Bulls defense has leaked goals in key matches — including a whopping six against Inter Miami — and has already received two temper-driven red cards this season.

Advantage: NYCFC

3. Attacking form

Messi and his friends at Inter Miami have stolen most of MLS' goalscoring headlines, but the Red Bulls have quietly pulled together one of the most potent front lines in the league. Scottish striker Lewis Morgan is in the Golden Boot race with nine goals to his name this season — just one shy of Messi's total. Belgian winger Dante Vanzeir, meanwhile, has racked up an impressive seven assists, good enough for third in the league.

Sitting just behind Morgan and Vanzeir is the new designated player signing Emil Forsberg, whose savvy gameplay has lifted the Red Bulls significantly in 2024. 

NYCFC has some decent attackers, but they've got nothing compared to the Forsberg-Vanzeir-Morgan trinity. 

Advantage: Red Bulls

The Hudson River Derby kicks off on Saturday, May 18, at 7:30 p.m. ET.