9/18 - NYCFC vs NYRB

New York City FC vs New York Red Bulls

Red Bulls prevailed in the third Hudson River Derby of the year Friday night. NYC knocked out the Red Bulls in the Open Cup, then the points were shared in a league match in early May. So, this was a sweet victory for the visitors. Rivalry aside, it was a crucial victory for the Red Bulls, as this was a true six pointer. The result moves Red Bulls above New York City in the Eastern Conference standings, with the Pigeons now sitting in 10th, a point outside the playoffs. After a cagey first half, the match opened up in the second half. Julian Hall capitalized on a James Sands mistake to give the visitors the lead. From there, New York faced a lot of pressure but didn't concede thanks to a combination of great defense from their back line, goalkeeper Ethan Horvath's best performance in a Red Bulls jersey, and poor finishing from NYCFC. It was a good performance from New York City, but now they need to start picking up more wins if they want to make the postseason.

New York City played well in this match. They created lots of good chances, generating 2.36 xG in the second half alone. It all starts with their buildout. The Pigeons were much improved in this phase of play compared to recent matches. Nicolás Fernández Mercau was at the heart of this. Fernández Mercau dropped deeper into midfield, sometimes even in the same line as Aiden O'Neill, to get on the ball and progress NYCFC into the final third. He's really, really good at this because he's nearly impossible to take off the ball. His strength and quick feet make it hard for opponents to cleanly win the ball(he's been fouled MLS-high 82 times this season), and allow him to turn out of pressure and get City up the field. If they weren't finding the Argentine, they had success building down wide areas, specifically their right side. Agustín Ojeda is a reliable outlet whether he's dropping to receive the ball or running behind the backline. In this match, the wingers were positioned high and wide, stretching the Red Bulls' back line. With Fernández Mercau dropping low and Ojeda staying high, gaps opened up in the NYRB defense. Gaps which were exploited by Tayvon Gray and Luighi. The Bronx native has really stepped up his game in possession over the last couple years, and he was fantastic in this one. Gray completed 10 progressive passes in this match, with quite a few of them finding Luighi dropping off the backline. The young Brazilian has been outstanding at linking play and keeping the ball for the Pigeons. He did exactly that in this match, doing well to absorb pressure from opposing center backs and moving the ball to other attackers in sky blue jerseys. New York City were more urgent and purposeful when building out of the back, and as a result looked very dangerous in the attacking third.

Another reason NYCFC was so threatening in attack was Alonso Martínez. The Costa Rican was brought on in the 62nd minute in his second appearance of the season. It was his first real chance for impactful minutes, and he was certainly impactful. There is no better player in the league at making runs behind the backline. What separates him is his movement in the opposition half. Anybody can make a run in behind a defense on a counterattack. Alonso Martínez is elite at timing his runs to perfection and darting into the channels between center backs and outside backs. His movement creates chances for him, but also space for his teammates. To the first point, Martínez had multiple great looks in this match. If he had been healthy all year, he likely puts one or two of those away. But what's more helpful for the team is the effect Martínez has on their opponents. His run must be respected, so back lines are forced to drop off. Plus, his movement attracts the attention of defenders. Consequently, New York City's other attackers have much more room to operate with. This is why there is reason for optimism for NYC fans in spite of the result. What the Pigeons seemed to be missing all year was Alonso Martínez, so finally getting him back to health alongside Nicolás Fernández Mercau and Agustín Ojeda will completely transform this team. If New York City FC continues to play as they did on Friday, they will be playing playoff soccer come November.

New York Red Bulls will also find themselves in postseason soccer if they defend like they have of late. It's now two straight shutouts for the Red Bulls, highlighted by the play of the center backs. Julián Bazán was immense in this match, blowing up many sky blue attacks. As good as Che has been this year, Bazán's partnership with veteran Tim Parker has been elite. Both were fantastic in this game, a promising sign for a team that's struggled to defend all year. On a holistic level, Red Bulls showed some good signs tonight as well. They did a good job, particularly in the second half, of causing turnovers high. It's critical that they're a more difficult team to play against, as it was far too easy for teams early in the season to slice through them. To this end, Michael Bradley has dropped his lines a little further back in recent weeks. However, there's still plenty of room for improvement for this young group. They can't rely on brilliant performances from Bazán and Horvath to keep clean sheets every week.

If the Red Bulls want to remain above the line, they're going to need good performances from their midfield. Bradley has gone with the trio of Adri Mehmeti, Ronald Donkor, and Mohammed Sofo. All three are under the age of 22, and though they are inconsistent at times, they are hugely talented players. Mehmeti, who isn't even eligible to vote in this year's midterms, is one of the league's top prospects. His ability to release the ball quickly, and to do so forward, is remarkable for a player his age. At his best, he is the very definition of press resistant. He does need to improve his strength on the ball and defending in space to solidify the base of the midfield for New York. The other members of the midfield complement Mehmeti very well. The two Accra, Ghana natives, who both developed for Malian club Guidars FC, have relentless motors. They cover every blade of grass on the field. Donkor is very good at turning out of pressure and driving into the open space. He's the biggest connector between defense and attack for this team. Sofo can do this as well, but he prefers to adopt a higher starting position. Interestingly, he's almost a perfect foil to Emil Forsberg, who was the third component of this midfield in the first half of the year. Forsberg oozes quality with his calmness and playmaking, but he doesn't add much on the defensive side of the ball. On the other hand, Sofo is energetic both on and off the ball. He creates more through his movement and direct dribbling, rather than his vision and passing. And he's a tireless worker against the ball. Sofo is among the better pressing forwards in the league. The Ghanaian showed this against NYCFC; he was a big part of forcing turnovers high up the field by filling passing lanes and getting consistent pressure on the ball. With Sofo, Donkor, and Mehmeti playing together, New York has a complete midfield that adds an element of stability. It's a personnel tweak reflective of a slightly more conservative tactical approach heading towards the end of the season. As New York Red Bulls look to maintain their spot in the MLS Cup Playoffs, they need their defense to continue to perform well and their midfield to exert control on the games.