MATT KREMKAU - EMPIRE OF SOCCER

by MARK FISHKIN

For the third time since May 21st, the New York Red Bulls and NYCFC will do battle for bragging rights in the region.

With both clubs claiming a victory this season to date, Sunday’s sweltering match will determine the shade of the city’s soccer fans — at least until the playoffs begin. NYC is (ahem) red-hot, with five wins in six. The Red Bulls are a bit cooler, with up and down results over the last few weeks.

For the first time this season, both clubs come into the rivalry with a week’s rest. What color will New York be after the final whistle?

Match Information

Sunday, July 24th at Red Bull Arena, 1:01p kickoff.

TV/Streaming: Fox/Fox Sports Go

Red Bulls Radio: TuneIn App and www.newyorkredbulls.com/matchday/radio

Referee: Mark Geiger

Record: GF/GA, Division & League Position, Current League Form

New York: 28 points from 21 gms, 32GF/27GA, 3rd in the East, 9th in MLS, DLDWD

New York City: 33 points from 21 gms, 34GF/35GA, 1st in the East, 3rd in MLS, WWWLW

Projected Lineups

New York

New York City

The Red Bulls’ attack v the City defense

Bradley Wright-Phillips vs. RJ Allen, Jefferson Mena, Frederic Brillant, Ethan White, and Josh Saunders

The Red Bulls’ striker, who loves to play NYCFC (six goals in five all-time matches) is mired in a scoring slump. Bradley Wright-Phillips (9G/4A), though tied for fourth in MLS in scoring, has only a single tally in his last seven appearances. More worrying for Red Bulls fans is that the Englishman has only taken 12 shots at goal over the same period. The City defense has been sharp of late, conceding only 11 times in the seven matches since the Red Bull Wedding, and posting three clean sheets. Last week, City held Didier Drogba scoreless in yet another win on the road. RJ Allen (1G/4A) has started NYC’s last nine matches. Jefferson Mena has won back his starting spot in late June, and City has won four of five matches since. Brilliant (1G) has gone the full 90 in all but two matches for NYC this season. Former DCU homegrown White has been in and out of the lineup all year since coming over from Philadelphia. Josh Saunders has conceded 14 goals to the Red Bulls in the five Hudson Derby matches to date, but his shutout of New York last time out is one of the five he’s posted in MLS this season.

Slight Advantage: New York Red Bulls

The City front line v the Red Bulls’ back line

Thomas McNamara, David Villa, and Jack Harrison vs. Connor Lade, Aurelien Collin, Damien Perrinelle, Sal Zizzo, and Luis Robles

City’s three-headed attack has been clicking as the Pigeons have been winning. David Villa (13G/1A) sits atop the league scoring chart and finally scored against the Red Bulls in his club’s two-nil win three weeks ago. McNamara (3G/8A) leads his club in assists after picking up two helpers last week in Montreal. Top SuperDraft pick Jack Harrison (3G/2A) was named league Player of the Week after his performance in the last derby, and has two goals in his last four matches. The Red Bulls back line has conceded a goal per match over the last five league matches, though New York has only won once over that span. Homegrown Connor Lade’s (1G) dynamic engine will prove crucial in trying to manage Harrison. Lade should record his most MLS minutes since 2012 this season. Aurelien Collin will be playing in his second derby match on Sunday. New York was lifted by the first 2016 start of Damien Perrinelle against Philadelphia. The Frenchman will surely be excited to contribute in his only derby match of the regular season. Right back has been an issue for New York over the last few weeks. Sal Zizzo (2A) is a favorite to get the start, but Red Bulls coach Jesse Marsch mentioned Friday that homegrown teenager Tyler Adams had been getting minutes in practice at the position. With Sunday’s high temps, might we see Adams come off the bench? Luis Robles was named to the MLS Team of the Week for his shutout of Orlando and point-blank saves in Philadelphia in Sunday’s draw.

Advantage: New York City

Midfielders

Mike Grella, Dax McCarty, Sasha Kljestan, Felipe, and Alex Muyl, vs. Andrea Pirlo, Andoni Iraola, and Frank Lampard

Glen Cove’s own and former NYCFC trialist Mike Grella (6G/3A) has yet to score against City, but did record an assist in the Red Bull Wedding. Grella hasn’t recorded a point in league play since his June 19th brace against Seattle. Captain McCarty (2G/2A) tore in to his team after blowing a two-goal halftime lead in Philadelphia. Will his teammates respond? New York’s lone All-Star, Sacha Kljestan (4G/10A) scored both goals in Philadelphia last Sunday. Felipe (4G/3A) has scored all of his goals from outside of the box this season, leading the league in that stat. Marsch has indicated that homegrown, Manhattan-born Alex Muyl (1G/3A) will start again on the right. Marsch smartly has Muyl and Gonzalo Veron (1G) battling for that slot now that Lloyd Sam has been traded. Muyl is more of a two-way player that shows lots of promise, but doesn’t have the technical skill of the more experienced Argentine. For City, Pirlo (1G/7A) has assists in three of the Pigeons’ last four matches, but will he wilt in the heat? Iraola (1A) is City’s disruptor in the middle, who hasn’t record a point since April 16th. NYC’s strong recent form can be attributed to the play of Frank Lampard (5G/1A), who has once again become the player that City fans were sold. All of Lampard’s points have come in City’s last six matches, and NYC has won five of them.

Advantage: Even

The Coaches

Marsch’s charges have gone a bit sideways over the last 10 matches (4-3-3), all played within a brutal 32-day stretch. Grateful for a week between matches, Marsch will use his team’s speed, pressure, and youth in a bid to wear out his opponent. His club has dropped seven points on the road late in the last few weeks. Can his club’s home form prevail? Patrick Vieira has proven to be a keen strategist, throwing out formations that confuse even experienced watchers of the game. His brilliant four-corners plan stymied New York’s attack on July 3rd on a small field. In the roomier confines of Red Bull Arena, his players will have to run. Can he push his older charges to hang on?

Advantage: Even

Intangibles

For fans of the two clubs, the short history is easy to recall. The Red Bulls won the first four matches by a combined score of 14-2, with a seven-goal massacre thrown in to boot. City fans finally had something to crow out after their team finally drew first blood in a two-nil win in the Bronx on July 3rd. City is 6-3-1 away from Yankee Stadium, far and away the best road record in the league. No other MLS side has more than four away wins, and four teams have yet to win away from their home ground. Red Bull Arena has once again become a fortress this season. The Red Bulls are 7-2-1 in Harrison this year, haven’t conceded a home goal since April 24th, and haven’t lost at home since April 9th. The three Hudson Derby matches have all taken place within a ten-week span. An extremely informal twitter poll this week of 125 fans showed sixty percent thought that the tight scheduling was “overkill.” The weather will be brutal, with temperatures in the mid-nineties for the 1pm kickoff, with partly cloudy skies. While as of Friday afternoon, the match had yet to sell out, it’s likely that there will be a full house for the match.

Advantage: Even

Prediction:

The Red Bulls will use Collin and Perrinelle to effectively manage Villa. The keys will be Lade’s ability to manage Harrison and Zizzo on McNamara. McCarty and Felipe should be able to combine on Lampard. Wright Phillips will finish one of his few chances. Pirlo will flip the script and score on a free kick. Grella, the former NYC trialist will be the difference maker with a late goal, giving the Red Bulls a 2-1 victory and signaling that another match-up between the teams is likely in the playoffs.