Jesse Marsch: "We are ready for a massive challenge"

Head Coach of Red Bulls Jesse Marsch is looking forward to the first edition of the New York Derby, coming up on Saturday, May 5 at Red Bull Arena. 

The Red Bulls will be looking for revenge after failing to nab a win in MLS play in 2017. The Red Bulls did knock New York City FC out of the 2017 U.S. Open Cup en route to an appearance in the Open Cup Final.

"Any rivalry has to have give and take," Marsch said following training on Tuesday.

The Red Bulls will look to take down their Eastern Conference-leading rivals at 2 p.m. on May 5 in front of a packed house at Red Bull Arena.

"This rivalry has become something that the fans enjoy, the teams enjoy," Marsch said. 

The Red Bulls lead the New York Derby with five MLS wins to their one draw and three losses, along with the Red Bulls' Open Cup victory. With NYCFC coming in hot, dropping only two points all season, Marsch knows that the matchup will not be easy.

"They play differently than us, which also makes it, stylistically, makes it an interesting matchup and a big challenge for us," he said.

Marsch's Red Bulls are coming off a 3-2 victory on the road vs. the Los Angeles Galaxy. Following the New York Derby, the Red Bulls are on the road for four of their next five matches. Setting the tone against NYCFC as the tough stretch of games continues is of utmost importance to New York.

"We’ll be really fired up and ready for a massive challenge for us at this point in our season," Marsch said. "It’s a chance to prove to ourselves that we’re a good team, we’ve made good progress and that we’re ready for big challenges."