The NYC FC-Red Bulls rivalry may seem forced, but remember: it’s only in its second season, and MLS remains a young league. These things take time to grow

What makes a rivalry? A humble conflict trumped up on both sides until it takes on a far larger meaning than the initial dispute? Inter-city pride? Or some political conflict spilling over into the sporting arena? It’s usually some combination of factors, and I’m sure scientists can argue that an innate tribalism trait in all of us plays a role as well.

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This weekend will mark the third Hudson River Derby of the season, and perhaps the most important yet, with just five points separating the Eastern Conference-leading NYC FC from the New York Red Bulls. After the 7-0 drubbing at the hands of the Red Bulls back in May, NYC FC responded well with a 2-0 victory, their first ever in a derby match, earlier this month. Now the teams will lock horns again and with so much of American soccer culture under the microscope, the interactions between the two sets of supporters will be watched closely.

American soccer fans are often held to exacting standards. They are expected to be excited about the beautiful game, while simultaneously finding a “different” or more organic way to express their fandom. Abroad, US soccer fans are chastised for their perceived mimicking of European football culture, complete with scarves and ultras sections.

Even at home, writers like Jay Caspian Kang allege that American culture fetishizes the worst parts of European – but mainly English – football culture. As he wrote for the New York Times recently: “For the stunted American male, frustrated with the changing demographics of the country and gripped by the belief that his days on top are coming to an end, there may be no form of pornography more satisfying than watching a bunch of hard-drinking, pub-singing soccer fans with thick brogues beat the hell out of one another.”

Caspian’s article caused an uproar, but the truth likely lies somewhere in the middle. America’s soccer culture is currently a melting pot of different ideologies and much like our country on the whole, we are trying to figure things out for everyone.

Rivalries and fandom in particular take time to develop, and in a 20-year-old league we see the beginnings of the rivalries to come. Last year the Hudson River Derby became a point of contention, with many confused as to why there would be any real beef between NYC FC and Red Bull fans. Of course, many are merely copying, or as some put it, engaging in a “cultural cosplay” of sorts. There’s no honor being defended when members of these teams fight.

This year, there was another “brawl”, and even last month’s pre-match fights between NY Cosmos vs NYCFC supporters led to a few bloodied patrons.

Even from a corporate perspective, the rivalry can seem forced.

In the lead-up to that 7-0 drubbing, the NYCFC Twitter account attempted to garner support by asking for a shirt exchange. The tweet was deleted, but not before it was ridiculed by fans drawing up hypothetical comparisons to European clubs ever doing the same.

But these things do happen. Getafe, the Madrid-based club, were notorious for their “odd” recruitment tactics. With Real and Atletico Madrid dwarfing them, Getafe have long suffered from little brother syndrome, and they’ve been stigmatized in Spanish football circles as a team with no support. In 2014-15, Los Azulones recorded the second lowest average attendance –7,753 – in La Liga. Of course, much of this also stems from the fact that this iteration of Getafe is relatively new, founded in the mid-1980s.

As a result they’ve often resorted to eccentric tactics to garner support: tactics that over the years have resulted in gratuitous biblical references in their season ticket campaigns, pornography, and even the creation of a dating app called “Getafinder” where fans were encouraged to meet other Getafe fans, procreate and produce … more Getafe fans.

As American soccer fans, we are exposed to all the twists and turns that happen at the inception of any sporting league, the only difference being that we live in an era where it’s visible to all.

Many European rivalries are also products of the times: a political issue between rivals that’s spilled over to the football field, or just simply inter-region pride. But it didn’t happen overnight. MLS is concurrently a test tube for what the future of the league will be. Make no mistake, despite the massive progress that’s been made in the past 20 years, the league has a long way to go. Things take time. Just remember in the last 20 years we’ve had countdown clocks and hockey-style penalty shootouts.

Fandom is this enigmatic and intangible thing that can’t really be classified. It just is. The Sons of Ben and the Timbers Army are excellent examples of organic fan culture, and these two groups will forever be how embedded into the folklore of their respective clubs. Philadelphia Union’s Sons of Ben, who played a considerable role in the genesis of that club, even got to help design their own quadrant of the stadium. And this weekend will represent another watershed moment for American soccer. For the first time ever, ESPN’s SportsCenter will be on the road at an MLS game. The Timbers Army is sure to be out in full force.

Truthfully, the league at times does not know exactly what it wants, often using imagery and promotional materials that encourage more rabid fans but also positing that the family atmosphere is most desirable. It’s a facade of sorts: it’s as if MLS wants fandom but a sanitized version of it, without the authenticity that makes it so appealing.

MLS has attempted to play catch-up with the rest of the soccer world for years. Fast-tracking a culture around anything is hard enough, but as soccer fandom continues to spread a more organic undertone will develop.

But we are seeing the beginnings of rivalries that will last for decades. In many ways, it’s a privilege to see how these geographical battles coalesce into something far more tangible. That 7-0 victory has already been etched into the history of the club as the “Red Bull Wedding”. These legends will live on and add to the folklore. It just needs time.