The summer heat could play a factor in Saturday afternoon's New York Derby.

With temperatures set to be in the high 80s with plenty of humidity at Red Bull Arena on Saturday, 90 minutes on the soccer pitch will be taxing on both teams.

"I think it has been good that we have been training in very hot temperature," Assistant Coach Bradley Carnell said after training on Wednesday.

Carnell said training in the elevated temperatures and humidity the last couple of weeks helped them "grind" out a win in Philadelphia.

"We have our preparation in the mornings and when we go out a little bit later, it gets a little hotter and I think that has prepared us well, especially in our last game against Philly," Carnell said.

New York used all three subs against the Union, and all three players - Kemar Lawrence, Sal Zizzo and Gonzalo Veron - had assists and secondary assists on the goals in Philly.

"The heat was really big in Philly, I don’t know what it was in Fahrenheit, but in Celsius it was really warm," the South African coach said with a smile.

Carnell said the players "put in a good shift" on Wednesday, their first training of the week ahead of the New York Derby, kicking off at 1:30 PM on Saturday.

"That is what makes the team special: it's everybody’s willingness to work and go to the maximum whoever is there," Carnell said. "I am expecting a good week.”