The New York Red Bulls take on New York City FC at Red Bull Arena in the U.S. Open Cup Quarterfinals on Wednesday, June 21. Kickoff is set for 8:00 p.m. ET with coverage on ESPN+ and New York Red Bulls Radio in English and Spanish via TuneIn, the New York Red Bulls app and NewYorkRedBulls.com.
Get to know who the Red Bulls will be hosting in their upcoming U.S. Open Cup match:
How they’re doingÂ
NYCFC is unbeaten across all competitions since early April, stretching 12 matches in MLS, U.S. Open Cup and CONCACAF Champions League play. During this run, the club has won seven of its nine MLS games and advanced twice in the U.S. Open Cup over MLS Next Pro side Rochester New York FC and the New England Revolution.
The Hudson River rivals are separated by one point in the Eastern Conference standings, with NYCFC sitting in first place on 27 points.
After winning six straight across all competitions in late May, NYCFC is coming off a 1-1 draw at home against the Colorado Rapids on Sunday. That is the only match the club has played in the June.
NYCFC’s hot start can be traced back to strong defensive play. Its 11 goals conceded across 14 matches is tied for the fewest in MLS. NYCFC also has the best goal differential in the league, sitting at +15.
City hasn’t been as successful as the road team. Across all competitions, the club has won just three of its eight matches with four losses. NYCFC won both of its previous U.S. Open Cup matches this season as the home side at St. John’s Belson Stadium in Queens.
Head-to-head history
The Red Bulls hold the all-time edge across all competitions, winning 12 of their 21 meetings with just six losses and outscoring NYCFC 40-22.
Both U.S. Open Cup meetings between the two sides have also gone the Red Bulls way, with the team pounding its rivals 4-0 in 2018 after knocking out NYCFC with a 1-0 win in 2017 en route to the final.
This is the first Hudson River Rivalry matchup of 2022, but the Red Bulls were unbeaten against NYCFC in 2021 – winning two of the final three meetings after earning a 1-1 draw in the opener thanks to a Patryk Klimala goal in the 12th minute of second half stoppage time.
Player to watch – Midfielder Santiago RodrÃguez
On loan from Uruguay’s Montevideo City, RodrÃguez has been a key playmaker for NYCFC this season with a league third-best seven assists in MLS play.
He has nine assists and five goals in 20 matches across all competitions this season.
The 22-year-old also buried the game-winning goal in extra time of NYCFC’s 1-0 U.S. Open Cup Round of 16 win against New England to set up this quarterfinal clash.
While he’s currently under contract with Montevideo City, RodrÃguez spent most of his early professional career with historic Uruguayan side Nacional. He also has been capped dozens of times with Uruguay’s youth national teams ranging from the U-15 to the U-23 level.
