The Hudson River Derby resumes when Red Bull New York host arch-rivals New York City FC for Matchday 14's Walmart Saturday Showdown.
How to watch & stream
When
- Saturday, May 16 | 7:30 pm ET/4:30 pm PT
Where
- Sports Illustrated Stadium | Harrison, New Jersey
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Record
- 6th in Eastern Conference
- 18 points, 5W-5L-3D
What to know
Winners of two straight, the Red Bulls are back in Eastern Conference contention this season after seeing their MLS-record, 15-year Audi MLS Cup Playoffs streak end in 2025.
They're doing it with a youth-heavy squad, highlighted by rising striker Julian Hall. The 18-year-old homegrown became the youngest player in league history to score a hat trick in Wednesday's 3-2 home win over the Columbus Crew.Â
Fellow teenagers Adri Mehmeti and Matthew Dos Santos have also stood out under first-year head coach and U.S. Soccer legend Michael Bradley.Â
Who to watch
- Julian Hall: Hall's midweek hat trick elevated him to 9g/2a on the season, straight into the Golden Boot presented by Audi race.Â
- Adri Mehmeti: Mehmeti is developing into one of the league's top midfielders, with high-profile clubs reportedly scouting the 17-year-old US youth international.
- Emil Forsberg: The Swedish star and German Bundesliga alum has 1g/5g in his third season as RBNY captain.
- Jorge Ruvalcaba: The Mexican-American winger has four goals in his debut MLS season; he arrived in February from LIGA MX side Pumas UNAM.
- Cade Cowell: The San Jose Earthquakes product is another offseason LIGA MX arrival, producing 1g/5g while on loan from Chivas de Guadalajara.
Predicted XI
With back-to-back three-goal RBNY performances, Bradley will likely repeat the attacking trio of Hall-Ruvalcaba-Cowell up top.
Record
- 5th in Eastern Conference
- 18 points, 5W-5L-3D
What to know
NYCFC also enter Saturday's derby riding a two-game winning streak.Â
Their most recent triumph came in Wednesday's 1-0 victory at Charlotte FC, with Nicolás Fernández Mercau scoring the decisive goal. The Argentine forward has a club-best 9g/3a in his first full season with NYCFC.
After reaching the 2025 Eastern Conference Final, the Cityzens are looking to go one step further in year two under head coach Pascal Jansen.
Who to watch
- Matt Freese: The USMNT goalkeeper has posted two straight clean sheets as he looks to secure the starting job at this summer's 2026 FIFA World Cup.
- Nicolás Fernández Mercau: With 12g/4a in 24 regular-season starts, Fernández Mercau has quickly become one of the league's top attackers.Â
- Maxi Moralez: The legendary NYCFC playmaker is showing no signs of slowing down at age 39, thanks to a team-high six assists this season.
- Hannes Wolf: A former Austrian youth international, Wolf scored his first career hat trick in last weekend's 3-0 win over the Columbus Crew.
- Thiago Martins: The club captain and 2024 MLS All-Star continues to anchor NYCFC's backline. He recently surpassed 150 all-time appearances for the club.
Predicted XI
After a seven-game winless streak, NYCFC have rattled off two straight wins. With things going well and a derby coming up, don't expect Jansen to experiment much (if at all).
The Hudson River Derby seems a virtual toss-up, with the Red Bulls and NYCFC each netting about 40% of the market. Notably, these sides haven't settled for a draw since the 2023 season.
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Market insights shared are current as of Thursday, May 14 at 1:30 pm ET.
Red Bull have home-field advantage and a historical edge over their cross-city rivals, posting a 16W-13L-4D record in 33 matches across all competitions.Â
However, NYCFC have recent history on their side. They've won the last three derbies, including last month's 3-1 victory in the US Open Cup.
