NYCFC vs Red Bulls, Cushing: “The Fans Will Be Incredibly Important"

Not even the time to enjoy the Campeones Cup victory that New York City FC has in front of it another very important match: the Hudson River Derby! The Boys in Blue host Red Bulls on Saturday in another eagerly-awaited clash, looking to secure the double over their rivals after winning 1-0 away in July.

With more than three points at stake and local pride on the line, emotion can play a huge part and Nick Cushing has urged the loyal fans to replicate the impressive atmosphere from the midweek Cup Final to help spur his side onto victory.

“It’s a really important point to make: that our fans will be incredibly important in the game,” he said.

“It’s at Yankee Stadium again, which is the place where we really feel the energy with our crowds. One thing from me from the Atlas game was that our fans were exceptional – you felt the noise.

“I’d seen a lot of Atlas fans in the stadium – there were a lot of away fans – but the only noise I could hear was from our fans. They really drove us on.

“They can be the driving force for us to replicate that performance and even be better. We’re so proud of our fans, we’re so happy when we hear them and know they’re with us. That’s pretty important for us.

“We will control the emotion and the process of how we perform, but the fans can really drive us on and give us that next level.”