EAST HANOVER, N.J. (February 28, 2025) – New York Red Bulls Academy will face NYCFC Academy on the road for the sixth-ever New York Academy Derby on Saturday March 1 at St. John’s University – Belson Stadium, the club announced today.
This year’s New York Academy Derby will be different, as there is a transition from U-15 and U-17 to the new U-16 and U-18 format. The U-16 and U-18 groups will face each other, with the winner of the U-18 match being presented the New York Academy Trophy. If the U-18 match is tied after 90 minutes, the two sides will go straight to a penalty kick shootout.
“We are excited to once again compete in the New York Academy Derby.” Says Academy Director Sean McCafferty, “The games always add a little more meaning given it's our local rivals and there is a trophy on the line, but most importantly it allows us to see how our young aspiring pros perform under the added pressure of the event. The matches have always been played in competitive but great spirit between the clubs, so we look forward to seeing some quality football and intensity from both sets of players.”
The first match between the U-16s will be played at 12:30 P.M. ET, while the U-18s will play at 2:45 PM ET, with coverage of both matches available on New York Red Bulls YouTube.
In five all-time matchups, NYCFC currently hold the advantage winning three matches compared to the Red Bulls two. New York won the first-ever edition of the derby on May 15, 2021, that saw the U-15s win 2-0, and the U-17s win 3-1.
New York’s U-16s have hit the ground running this season earning nine points from their first three games. They have scored three or more goals in each match thus far and hold a +8 goal differential. The group is coming off a convincing 4-0 home win against Springfield SYC on February 15.
The U-18s are off to a strong start to the season with seven points from their first three matches. They currently hold a +2 goal differential and are coming off of a 1-0 home win against Springfield SYC on February 15.
