Red Bull New York return home Wednesday night looking to build momentum as they open a two-match homestand against Columbus Crew at Sports Illustrated Stadium.
New York enters the matchup with a 4-5-3 record and 15 points, while Columbus arrives at 3-6-3 with 12 points on the season.
This marks the 84th all-time regular season meeting between the clubs. Columbus holds the historical edge in the series with a 36-33-14 record, though New York has gone 23-15-7 against the Crew across all competitions in franchise history. The Red Bulls have also found success recently at home against Columbus, posting a 2-1-2 record in their last five Major League Soccer (MLS) meetings at Sports Illustrated Stadium.
The Red Bulls snapped a three-match losing streak with an impressive 3-1 road win over Chicago Fire FC on Saturday and now return to a venue where they have consistently produced offensively. New York is averaging nearly 2.5 goals per game at home this season.
One of the biggest reasons for that attacking success has been forward Julian Hall, who leads the club with six goals in 12 matches this season. Winger Jorge Ruvalcaba has also emerged as a dangerous option at Sports Illustrated Stadium, scoring in each of his last two MLS home matches.
Captain Emil Forsberg continues to be the driving force in New York’s attack. The Swedish international recorded his 20th career MLS assist in Saturday’s win over Chicago, becoming just the seventh player in franchise history to register 20 or more goals and 20 or more assists with the club. Forsberg has also enjoyed success against Columbus throughout his career, recording five goal contributions in his last five matches against the Crew across all competitions. He has scored three goals in three career matches against Columbus at Sports Illustrated Stadium.
Set pieces could once again play a major role for New York. The Red Bulls lead the Eastern Conference in corner kicks this season, consistently creating dangerous scoring opportunities through pressure and service into the box.
Defensively, New York will need to remain organized and limit mistakes in transition. Columbus has struggled away from home this season, dropping four of its first six road matches, but the Crew remain dangerous when given space in the open field. Applying pressure to Columbus’ backline has proven effective for opposing teams this season, an area the Red Bulls will likely look to exploit throughout the match.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET, with coverage available on Apple TV in English and Spanish, along with Red Bulls Radio through the Red Bull New York app and NewYorkRedBulls.com.
Following Wednesday night’s contest, New York will remain at home for the second edition of the 2026 Hudson River Derby against New York City FC on Saturday, May 16 at Sports Illustrated Stadium.
