To say that NYCFC will have to be vigilant at the back – setting their feet, boxing out, winning 50-50 balls like mad – is perhaps the grandest understatement ever around.
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The bragging rights in the NY derby went to the Red Bulls as they soundly beat City 4-1 in MLS.
Two goals for former Southampton striker Bradley Wright-Phillips secured the three points for New York Red Bulls in a pulsating Hudson River derby against local rivals New York City.
It could have been a different story had David Villa not dragged wide when one-on-one with the score at 0-0, and Wright-Phillips showed more composure at the other end to coolly finish past Josh Saunders to round off a fine Red Bull move in the 20th minute.
Red Bulls forward Bradley Wright-Phillips downplayed the budding feud between the coaches, chalking it up to the intensity of the growing rivalry.
But Patrick Vieira’s men couldn’t build any kind of momentum in the second half, with Wright-Phillips cooly slotting in his second and the Red Bulls’ fourth of the night to seal a fifth derby win from six meetings. Referee Mark Geiger sent him off, but Vieira stuck around and offered instructions to his players during a heat-related water break. However, the scale has tilted heading into Sunday’s rubbermatch at Red Bull Arena.
Even though Tommy McNamara scored a stunner shortly after the penalty, NYCFC had nothing else left in this one, failing to even try and climb back into contention in the game.
Vieira’s words and early ejection are signs of just how much the new head coach has allowed his rival to get the best of him mentally. He felt Marsch’s comments influenced Mark Geiger and his officiating crew. “I think his team was playing well but he was quite really frustrated and I feel sorry for him”. “I think you will agree that it had an impact on the referee’s performance today”. I think he had a very good, clean game, where there really weren’t many mystery calls or doubts.
That, combined with his teams ineffective play in the rivalry, created a frustrating atmosphere, causing Vieira to lambast Marsch throughout his post-game press conference.
Vieira insisted that Geiger’s calling of the match was influenced by Marsch’s comments, and led to some calls going against NYCFC that shouldn’t have.
“The game was decided by players, and I think, in every way, our players put a big imprint on the game”, Marsch said.
During the first rivalry match of the season, the Red Bulls embarrassed New York City F.C.in their own home, Yankee Stadium, by a shocking 7-0 scoreline.
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It was a good strategy from Marsch to have Connor Lade go one on one against Jack Harrison as the young Englishman never looked threatening down the right side of the field and made sure he would never give his teammates a chance on frame. New York, once again, is Red.
