In one of the most highly anticipated MLS matches of the year, New York City FC host their crosstown rivals the New York Red Bulls at Yankee Stadium on Sunday. This is the second ever Hudson River Derby. Kickoff is 5 p.m. EDT from Yankee Stadium (ESPN, 970 AM, WQBU).

In the first ever matchup between the two New York clubs back in May at Red Bull Arena, the Red Bulls were reduced to 10 men but still managed to beat NYCFC 2-1 in a highly physical and intense matchup. At that time, New York City was in free fall down the Eastern Conference standings while the Red Bulls had continued their excellent start to the season. Since that match, times have changed for both clubs.

Before the Red Bulls' victory against RSL at home on Wednesday, they had lost four straight league matches in their worst run in the last five seasons. On the other hand, City has changed course, winning three straight league matches and changing their season outlook and playoff chances.

NYCFC are coming off a 2-0 victory at Toronto FC last week, impressing against one of the better sides in the Eastern Conference. City was able to contain Sebastian Giovinco, the leading MLS MVP contender at the moment and David Villa had a brace, making it three goals in his last two MLS matches. 

While the focus has been on the pitch for the clubs and the technical staff, off the pitch the two supporters groups have had an intense week. In a Twitter competition, New York City supporters tweeted the hash tag #WINNYCFC more than Red Bulls' supporters tweeted #WINRBNY to have the Empire State Building lit up in a blue light on Saturday night.

Despite the claim many have said that this rivalry is not organic and natural but forced by the league, both NYCFC and Red Bull players had their say on this newborn derby.

“There’s an in-city rivalry and of course, we're going to fight for the three points. Ultimately, we want our fans to be proud of being New York City fans and it's clear if we have a good game, we'll be able to get those three points," Villa said.

Red Bull midfielder Dax McCarty chimed in on the rivalry/derby debate.

“You never want to try and force something that’s not there. The first game, it was all-organic. The only other time I’ve seen Red Bull Arena that full and loud was against Arsenal. The first time we played [NYCFC], for it to be that full, that vibrant, that organic was eye-opening to me to see how much it meant to this city. Now we can call it a rivalry.’’

Tickets for Sunday's match have been in high demand, with NYCFC opening all of Yankee Stadium for the match. By Sunday night, over 44,000 tickets had been sold, with the club expecting to sell out on game day. 

The match is not only getting local recognition, but also worldwide recognition. Grant Wahl of SI.com reported that Real Madrid star Gareth Bale and several European coaches will be at the match, as well as a slew of celebrities who are expected to be in attendance. The match was also given a TV boost, with ESPN moving the match from ESPN2 to ESPN, and giving the match a thirty-minute pregame show.

MLS Commissioner Don Garber isn’t surprised of all the buzz surrounding the match.

“The first game was a great success, a great in-stadium environment. We have over 40,000 at Yankee Stadium, lots of buzz around it. The rivalry, we knew it would be real, because New Yorkers love to hate the team that’s in their market"

The Red Bulls come into the match with some injury concerns. Lloyd Sam missed the last match against RSL, and is still recovering from a groin injury picked up in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup against Atlanta. Sam is expected to start Sunday. 

The team from Harrison also have had the odds stocked against them in terms of matches played, as they are playing in their fourth match in thirteen days. They also play another derby Wednesday at home against the Cosmos in the US Open Cup.

Adding to the match hype, NYCFC's future additions are expected to be present for Sunday's match. Andrea Pirlo, who is expected to sign for NYCFC on Wednesday, will reportedly be in attendance. Frank Lampard will also be in attendance, as the midfielder will be joining his new teammates in training this week. 

The wild card for the match will be the officiating, with big name referee Marc Geiger in charge of the derby. In the first derby a month ago, a red card to RBNY payer Matt Miazga in the first half was a big point of discussion.

The Red Bulls will need to play with all their heart Sunday, as fatigue might set in for the players. City will have over 45,000 fans behind them, with a chance to set the tone for the rest of their season on Sunday.

Match Information:
Sunday, June 28th at Yankee Stadium: 5:00p ET kickoff 
TV/Streaming: ESPN, WatchESPN & ESPN Deportes
Audio: Red Bulls Radio: www.newyorkredbulls.com/matchday/radio
Referee: Marc Geiger