The latest chapter of the Hudson River derby takes place in the Round of 32 of the 2023 Leagues Cup as the New York Red Bulls host NYCFC at Red Bull Arena.
A penalty shootout win over the New England Revolution set the stage for the Red Bulls to reach this phase of the competition and a brace from Dante Vanzeir against Atletico San Luis, including a dramatic 90th-minute winner saw New York top the group.
For NYCFC, they suffered a controversial 1-0 defeat to Atlas FC with a potential match-tying goal by Justin Haak incorrectly ruled out for offsides but the Boys In Blue rebounded, emphatically defeating Toronto FC 5-0 to secure their place in the Round of 32.
The winner of this match will face either the Philadelphia Union or DC United in the Round of 16 with that contest taking place at the same time as this one.
Team news
New York bolstered their attack with the addition of Colombian forward Jorge Hurtado, who joins on loan from EFL Championship side Watford.
Lewis Morgan (hip), Serge Ngoma (hamstring), Dylan Nealis (hip) and Steven Sserwadda (knee) all remain sidelined.
Juan Mina was brought in from Deportivo Cali and will join the club's youth academy.
The Boys In Blue made two crucial signings, adding forward Julian Fernandez from Argentine side Velez Sarsfeld on a four-year contract.
Andres Perea arrived from the Philadelphia Union on loan for the rest of the season and should help in the midfield.
There are no injury concerns or suspensions for Nick Cushing's side to deal with.
Predicted lineups
New York Red Bulls: Coronel; Harper, Ndam, S. Nealis, Tolkin; Fernandez, Edelman, Amaya, Luquinhas; Vanzeir, Barlow
NYCFC: Barraza; Gray, Martins, Chanot, Cufré; Morales, Parks; Jasson, Rodríguez, Ledezma; Bakrar
Ones to watch
Dante Vanzeir (New York Red Bulls)
As mentioned above, he scored both goals in the 2-1 victory over San Luis which clinched the group for New York and he leads the team with five goals.
His ability to be a threat in the final third, making good runs or in addition to his goal-scoring prowess (his five lead the team) is something the Red Bulls have sorely lacked this season.
Mounsef Bakrar (NYCFC)
The club's replacement for the recently departed Valentin Castellanos, the Algerian was on the scoresheet against Toronto, which was his first start for the Boys In Blue.
What makes Bakrar such a dangerous player is his ability to make runs, which is something NYCFC has lacked all season in that area of the pitch as well as roaming around dangerous areas with a purpose as well as putting balls into the box.
Previous meetings
The Red Bulls are 14-8-3 against NYCFC all-time, including 11-2-2 at home and 3-0-0 in non-MLS competitions at Red Bull Arena.
In their most recent matchup, the MLS debut for interim manager Troy Lesesne, it was an Omir Fernandez goal in the 76th minute that gave New York a 1-0 victory.
Following a throw-in, Gabriel Pereira and Tayvon Gray were unable to clear the ball, which led to Fernandez gaining possession and beating a leaping Luis Barraza into the top left corner.
The win ended a seven-match winless run for the Red Bulls.
How to watch
The match will be televised in the United States and Mexico on Apple TV + with Kevin Egan as the play-by-play announcer and Miguel Gallardo as the color analyst.
Kickoff is set for 8pm Eastern time.