This Wednesday the New York Red Bulls host NYCFC at Red Bull Arena. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m ET.
Here are the Keys to the Game, presented by TriHonda Dealers:
Use Momentum in the Right Way
After suffering a tough 2-1 loss to Columbus, the Red Bulls showed a lot of grit and hunger in their convincing 4-0 win over Inter Miami CF.
But now as they come back home, New York have to take everything one step at a time in order to arrive in their best shape ahead of the first New York Derby of the 2021 season.
“Now it is all about next Wednesday for us, and we got to take it one game at a time, but those are massive games, not only for our club, our fans, our locker room, and our staff, but also for our playoff push,” said Captain Sean Davis after the match. “So, it is important that we use this momentum in the right way. We use these next few days in the right way, and we are ready to attack New York on Wednesday, especially at home.
“That is the mission, no time for complacency, obviously, we need to have a strong stretch and that is the message to the team right now,” said Davis.
One of the many positives from Friday night was that the Red Bulls reached 200 MLS clean sheets. This season, New York have notched seven clean sheets, just three away from being league best.
Fábio and Klimala Have Combined for Four Goals in Last Two Games
Fábio got a brace in Fort Lauderdale, while Patryk Klimala scored one goal in both games.
“Yeah, I was happy when I scored tonight because that was my second goal in a row, and this is important for me to score every game without like any stops,” said Klimala after the Miami match. “Also, I am happy when Fábio scored. He played all game; he had more chances, and he just did this. This is what we need on the pitch, it does not matter who is playing, we just have to, when we have the chance, we have to score. I think we showed this tonight.”
When combining goals and assists, both Fábio and Klimala have 11, which means that they’ve collaborated in 22 out of New York’s 29 goals this season.
NYCFC with One Win in Last Four Games
Although they defeated FC Cincy 2-1 last Saturday, New York City FC have lost two of their last four games. Their defeats have come against Nashville and New England.
Their current top goalscorer is Taty Castellanos with 12 goals, while Maxi Moralez leads in the assists department with eight.
The Red Bull own a mark of 6-1-1, including wins in the last three editions of the New York Derby at Red Bull Arena. They have outscored New York City FC, 7-1, in those matches.
