Whenever we get around to finally writing a book about NYC soccer in the modern era, September 20th is one of those days that might require its own chapter. As a sold-out crowd watched the New York Red Bulls put the league-leading Seattle Sounders to the sword with a resounding 4-1 victory, what was happening in the rafters, the supporters' section, and the skyboxes was just as remarkable.



Bradley Wright-Phillips completed his third hat trick of the season. (Rob Tringali/New York Red Bulls)

Let's start with the match itself. Seattle, coming off their overtime US Open Cup victory in Philadelphia on Tuesday, needed to rest their starters, including USMNT legend Clint Dempsey who was probably extra tired from his rap performance in Chelsea on Thursday. Bradley Wright-Phillips needed just 30 seconds to get on the score sheet after returning from injury, pouncing on rebounded shot to give the home team the lead.

BWP would go on to complete his third hat trick of the season in the second half, converting a penalty in the 54th minute and then finishing a perfect cross from Roy Miller two minutes later. The hat trick leaves the English striker just three goals off the MLS single-season scoring record with five games left to play.

Seattle would bring on their usual strike partnership of Dempsey and Obafemi Martins to try and get back into the match, and Clint Dempsey would strike in the 62nd minute. But the strike was canceled out by Tim Cahill restoring the three goal lead minutes later, and the defense would stand up for the remainder of the game. Dax McCarty and Eric Alexander continued their recent role clogging the midfield to break up the Seattle attack, and Luis Robles was called into action with an unreal double stop to deny Clint Dempsey.

The Red Bulls have taken 10 of 12 possible points so far in September, including a perfect 9 of 9 from the top teams in each conference. Petke's squad has finally carved out a little breathing room in the playoff race, although they'll still be looking to maximize points and punch their ticket for November soccer as soon as possible.

As big as the result was, what happened before the match kicked off was, in many ways, bigger. When Red Bull Gmbh purchased the Metrostars in 2006, much of the original club's history and identity was summarily discarded. For long-suffering Metro fans, reactions over the last eight years have ranged from begrudging acceptance to furious rage. Many old-timers in the supporters' groups continued to wear Metrostars gear, and the audible similarity between "Metro" and "Red Bull" means the name still featured in many fan chants.

After eight years, there had been signs this season that the club's reluctance to acknowledge the past was starting to soften. Subtle hints of red and black stripes appeared in club branding, and the club's website started running "Metro Mondays" to revisit moments in history.

Prior to Saturday's match, the club unveiled banners in the corners of Red Bull Arena, two showing Red Bulls branding and two showing Metro-like branding. The banners carried the message "AS LONG AS WE'RE BREATHING..." and acknowledged 1996 - not 2006 - as the club's starting point. Coach Mike Petke explained in a pre-recorded video message:

"As Long As We're Breathing" is a chant from the Empire Supporters Club song book, which goes:

As long as I’m breathing

I’ll sing for the Metro

Whether we’re winning

Or whether we’re losing

We are your people

We’ll always follow

We’re always behind you

And that you can count on

The banners, an design from season ticket holder Garry Redman, is the first explicit reference to the club's history that can be found at Red Bull Arena. The significance of that cannot be understated - nor can the timing be ignored.



The South Ward proclaims that NY is red with a large tifo display. (Rob Tringali/New York Red Bulls)

Lest anyone forget, the NYC soccer wars are here: the clock is ticking down on the Red Bulls' being the singular team in the market. With NYCFC rapidly pushing towards their first season with big signings and a growing supporters group, the pressure is on the club in Harrison to distinguish itself in the market.

The collected fans in South Ward have fired their first shot at the blue side of town, creating a massive tifo display depicting the NYC metro area and Red Bull Arena, proclaiming "OUR HEARTS BLEED RED FOR OUR HOME" and helpfully including a #NYisRED hashtag.

The display was made the same night that NYCFC coach Jason Kreis, NYCFC sporting director (and former RBNY player) Claudio Reyna, and NYCFC star player David Villa were in a skybox to take in the match:

There's plenty of history that will be created within this rivalry over the coming years. But long before the teams ever battle on the field, Saturday night stands out as the first time the Red Bulls front office - and supporters - took the battle to their cross-town rivals.