The Trisate area had a weekend to remember. From basketball to baseball, the city had big games to catch.
Whether it was planned or not, the MLS also joined in the action and had New York City FC and the NY Red Bulls face each other in a new edition of the Hudson River Derby at Citi Field.
The match came at a perfect time for both teams, winning the Derby could be a morale booster following the midweek results. However, the pressure fell to the Boys in Blue, as their most recent performances have left more questions than answers lately.
Vital win with a solid performance
It’s no secret that things have not been panning out well lately for New York City FC. The highlights and best notes ahead of the Derby belonged to Alonso Martinez and Matt Freece. They both came through for the team despite the negative results. But as I said before, a Derby is a good opportunity to hit the reset button.
The Red Bulls, on the other hand, arrived with a minor setback but with enough confidence to maybe repeat a performance showcased against the L.A Galaxy last week.
Regardless of a team’s momentum, not everyone can defeat the reigning champions by seven goals. Bringing that statistic to face your City rival is enough motivation. Keep in mind that they eliminated New York City FC from the playoffs last season at Citi Field as well.
However, once the match started, only one team was on the field. New York City FC was able to execute the game plan they had been attempting in previous weeks. The long ball to Alonso Martinez had him beat the defender once they were in an individual duel with the last defender.
The tactic almost had immediate results, but the visitors were quick enough to close down any potential scoring area for the Costa Rican forward.
It only took 12 minutes for Alonso to open the score at Citi Field. A long-range shot after a strong press in midfield saw New York City take the lead.
The striker now has 7 goals in 13 games this season, and continues to be the difference maker for the team. The long-ball tactic was at full display in the 18th minute, but Alonso was neutralized successfully.
The visitors never really settled on the field throughout the match. Their closest and most dangerous chance came after Eric Choupo-Moting took a shot that hit the side of the goal in the 20th minute. From that point on, they didn’t create dangerous chances to challenge Freese and allowed New York City FC to have control of the game.
So much so that the game-deciding goal came after a bad touch from Carlos Coronel in the 49th minute.
The goalkeeper tried to play from the back and made poor contact before passing the ball. Alonso Martinez was quick to get to the ball, but his shot window was quickly closed down by the Red Bull defense. Fortunately, he was able to find Maxi Moralez and scored the second and final goal of the match.
Alonso Martinez would have been able to walk off the match with a double if his shot during stoppage time hadn’t hit the crossbar. But the overall performance by the team was excellent, taking into account what was on the line.
The team broke a streak of negative results and took the first derby of the season. In addition, there was a breakthrough from New York City FC’s newest signing, Aiden O’Neil. The midfielder seems to be adapting to the team’s tactical shape. The derby was probably the first match where he was able to play alongside Maxi Moralez. A positive change since he was coming in from the bench in his place.
The team now looks ahead to a 3 home game stretch. While the team has gained some youth this season, it will test their limits. Expect rotations in attack and more variations in midfield. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Yankee Stadium sees both Zidane Yañez and Maximo Carrizo take part in these upcoming games.
Nevertheless, the win at Citi Field could be a point of reference to see what the team can do if things are done correctly, but only time will tell if the team is making the right moves ahead of 2027.