A river divides these two sides, contrasting colors represent the supporters, and two managers who have drastically different résumés lead their respective group of players. These were the conditions in order for the 35th edition of the Hudson River Derby. A match that would not be given proper justice by simply glancing over a stat sheet and assuming the intensity.
The most recent chapter in the battle of the New York metropolitan area certainly did not disappoint from a neutral’s perspective as the fans of both teams were brilliant from the first whistle until they emptied out of Yankee Stadium. The context of a derby against your geographical rival alone is enough to promote an intense atmosphere but the added jeopardy of a loss allowing your opponents to leapfrog you in the playoff picture was additional motivation NYCFC could’ve been able to draw from.
Both teams brought fairly poor form with them into the contest. The match was a home game for NYCFC and that sentiment was definitely represented on the pitch. From kickoff, NYCFC were clearly the more energetic of the two sides, the fervor that they played with was contagious as viewers could feel the passion radiating off of the players on the pitch.
In the first half, NYCFC used this emotion to their advantage where even without looking at the analytical breakdown of the on-field performance it was quite evident they maintained the vast majority of possession (69% compared to their opponent’s 31%). Though this may have been the case, anyone who appreciates the sport of soccer will understand that possession is meaningless without execution in front of goal.
NYCFC may have gone into halftime dominating the game, but it was RBNY who appeared to have the best chance of the initial 45 minutes to score. On the stroke of halftime in the second added minute of extra time the ball was swung into the box following a corner by fullback Matthew Dos Santos, it found the young Ghanaian midfielder Mohammed Sofo at the corner of the six-yard box who was unable to keep the shot on target. This was the best chance of the match up until this point for either side and shortly after the halftime whistle blew.
Both managers surely had plenty to discuss in the locker rooms with Michael Bradley of RBNY knowing they needed to start capitalizing on the chances they had created as the game state did not permit them many in front of the NYCFC net. Conversely, Pascal Jansen of NYCFC likely honed in on the idea they needed to generate more attempts based on the volume of possession they had. These principles were expressed in the second half as the standout players from the season thus far would play vital roles in shaping the rest of the game. Halftime sometimes destroys the flow of matches in favor of changing the dynamic of games, but this intermission was unable to do so initially as the style of play effectively did not shift. It was not until the 57th minute where things would truly take a turn.
After a period of NYCFC possession Sofo found himself at the top of his own box where he sent a clearance in the general direction of Julian Hall. The young Polish-American striker, who earned his first United States Men’s National Team call-up for the upcoming international break, chased down the ball with extreme determination. He was unable to reach it prior to NYCFC defender James Sands meeting it. Attempting to pass the ball back to his keeper to alleviate the pressure of the current forward, Sands played an underhit ball in the direction of Matt Freese. Hall, recognizing the magnitude of this opportunity, sprinted towards the stray pass and took one touch across his body with his left foot to bypass the NYCFC goalie, who came out of his box looking to close down the space between himself and the ball. Promptly with just his second touch of the sequence, he placed the ball into the back of the empty net from outside the 18-yard area. Current USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino watched on with sure vindication in the crowd in the Bronx of his choice to call up the striker.
The opportunity to pounce on a rare NYCFC mistake came and RBNY exploited it, though the remainder of the match would see an increase in the flurry of chances created by the now trailing home side. Nicolás Fernández and Agustín Ojeda (until the 75th minute where he was subbed off) of NYCFC helped continue the dominance and allowed for their team to chalk up additional shots in the second 45 minutes resulting in 10 more attempts with three more on target. This aided in NYCFC concluding with an admirable 16 shots and four on target respectively.
The duo may have been the creative spark necessary for a comeback, but RBNY and MLS stalwart Ethan Horvath proved why he is such a highly regarded goalkeeper by nullifying any and every possibility of a potential goal. The final goal scoring opportunity came in the 92nd minute of 93 for NYCFC and saw forward Bénie Traoré take a left footed shot just yards away from the net. The effort was comfortably saved by Horvath who would finish the game with four and could make a plausible claim for being the man of the match, if not Julian Hall.
Understanding the gravitas of the victory Michael Bradley had this to say regarding his team’s performance,
“It’s a big win. Really, really important three points when you get to the end of the year and you’re coming down the stretch.” The manager surely was pleased not only with moving up in the standings, but also at the expense of their rivals, now surpassing them in the rankings. He continued,
“Obviously you combine that with a Derby, and it’s a big thing. We’re really proud of the group.” Bradley who is in his maiden season as a top-flight manager has shown thus far this is the level he belongs.
Surely disappointed with the result, but still able to recognize the honorable effort his team put in, Pascal Jansen of NYCFC faced the media with grace. When asked about the root cause of the blame for the outcome he said,
“I don’t blame anybody, but I am responsible.” Whether or not he is responsible is up for debate as the manager does select the starting eleven and makes the ultimate decisions for substitutions, but he is unable to influence the on-field events related to if a player will put away an opportunity to score. What this response does exemplify is even in the face of defeat Jansen is a true leader.
What has consistently been a matchup that provided audiences with high-octane, multiple goal games delivered its first game without two or more goals in eight matches. Albeit the final score may not have indicated the game was played at a furious pace, those who watched it live were rewarded with viewing a fantastic contest where both teams were nobly battling due to the significance of picking up all three points.
In the end, RBNY was victorious and indeed the Hudson River as of September 18, 2026 runs red.
