A Bruising in Blue

How New York City FC Dominated the Red Bulls in the Hudson River Derby

The atmosphere around New York City FC ahead of the away leg of the Hudson River Derby was turbid, a gloom created by eight straight winless games in MLS play and a recent 5-1 home beating at the hands of rival Philadelphia Union. A brief ray of light had broken through in James Sands’ first goal to level against Messi’s Miami and steal a point, but the next game against a bitter rival on the wrong side of the Hudson seemed like too much of a test for this particular group of players—especially missing talisman Santiago Rodriguez.

And yet, when the final whistle blew and Tayvon Gray collapsed to the turf in exhausted ecstasy, the boys had beaten every expectation and sent a clear message across the league: New York is blue.

Total Domination

One of the more shocking outcomes was the way the Red Bulls, renowned for their always-on livewire intensity, were dominated from start to finish. Blue shirts attacked in packs, suffocating threats before they could develop and transitioning into their own ruthless attacks at a rapid tempo. Almost every physical battle left a Red Bulls player leveled or reeling, with the ball going back the other way.

The rattled Red Bulls fell apart quickly, first gifting the ball to the ageless Maxi Moralez, who put Daniel Edelman in a blender before picking out the side of the goal between his legs. Then, Edelman played a poorly placed back pass that became a spectacular through ball for Alonso Martinez. Though the Costa Rican had a lot of work to do, he held off the defender trying desperately to slow him down, and coolly slotted it past the hapless Coronel.

The shock in the stadium was palpable—in the first 10 minutes, the Energy Drinks had handed the game away. They struggled to get back into the match, revealing more cracks as Martinez brought down an exquisite long ball from James Sands smoothly but fired the shot off the crossbar. The NYCFC press was suffocating and overwhelming, and the Red Bulls could not break free.

A lucky goal brought it back within one, but less than a minute later Tayvon Gray played an inch-perfect cross to a rushing Perea, and City did not look back. Assurance goals from Martinez at the brink of halftime and Gray in the second half put the final touches on a complete rout.

A Contrast in Hue

MLS veteran referee Tori Penso was in charge of what has historically been an intense, physical rivalry. While she did an excellent job, it was notable that the Red Bulls did not engage in their typical tap-dancing on the line between fair and foul, or between foul and caution-worthy offense. The Red Bulls only committed two yellow card offenses. Sean Nealis, sidelined for this game, probably considers two yellow cardworthy offenses a light half.

Meanwhile, New York City kept their cool and showed their dominance on the field. Time and again when the game has become chippy, NYCFC players have lost their composure in spectacular ways. Who can forget Thiago Andrade headbutting his way out of the Open Cup? Despite the match’s intensity, no NYCFC players received cautions. This is especially important as Justin Haak, Keaton Parks, and James Sands would have been suspended if they had received cards.

NYCFC controlled both the scoreline and the emotions of the match, emerging as the unshakable winner in every aspect. The match was not just a domination in soccer, but also a physical and emotional victory.

Bronx Brilliance

The team’s display featured several sparkling individual performances that deserve celebration. Martinez exploded in the first half yet again, scoring two goals (and one off the crossbar) and becoming increasingly the scorer NYCFC fans have dreamed of as the season progresses. 

Sands continued his impressive display from Miami to Saturday night; although he did not score, his defensive range and composure on the ball led to total domination of the midfield. Keaton Parks’ vision and decisive passing resulted in two MLS assists, constantly applying pressure and maintaining the tempo.

Thiago Martins has had a fairly quiet season, aside from being selected as an MLS All-Star; it’s tough to live up to the hype as a designated player center half. In this game, however, he demonstrated every trait that may justify his salary. His passing was impeccable, but his ability to shut down strikers attempting to get in behind is what separates him from the rest of the pack. He ran down Dante Vanzeir or another attacker in the channel multiple times and simply bodied them off the ball, beating them to their spots and leaving them toothless.

Finally, Tayvon Gray may have put in his best performance in blue. Along with securing his first goal with a pinpoint weak-footed shot from outside the box, he had a brilliant assist and managed the game exquisitely from his right back role. Although the homegrown may never excel in overlapping runs, he has developed a wide range of skills that more than compensate for any weaknesses in that specific task. His ability to break lines with his passing and to find runners in the box has turned him into one of the most interesting and flexible defenders in the league.

Three More Games

Has New York City FC turned a corner? With the playoffs looming, any momentum could be a major factor in their postseason success. After Saturday night’s events, New York City finds themselves in fifth place in the East due to an Orlando win. However, fourth place—and the prospect of two home playoff games—remain very much within reach. The emotional high from the victory may prove to be the wave that propels this team to even greater heights. It will not be easy, but if they play every game like they did Saturday night, they will be unstoppable. ❧

Image: Edward Moran, Unveiling The Statue of Liberty, Enlightening the World