New York Red Bulls vs. New York City FC: Hudson River Derby is a battle for the hearts & minds of the Big Apple

New York City is famous for the contentious feuds waged for the hearts of its sports fans, and since 2015 it has been no different in Major League Soccer.

While the New York Red Bulls and NYCFC have yet to meet in the postseason, there have been plenty of flashpoints between an MLS original and one of the league's flashier recent additions, and more history is likely to be written when the two meet on Thursday, Aug. 19 for the first time in 2020 (7 pm ET | MLS LIVE on ESPN+ in the US; TSN5 in Canada).

Roots of the Rivalry

For nearly two decades, the Red Bulls (née MetroStars) were the only MLS game in town, with a reputation for heartbreak in a town that worships success. 

In 2013, a partnership between baseball's New York Yankees and Manchester City of the English Premier League resulted in the awarding of an expansion franchise to begin play at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx in 2015. And it was just about that time that the Red Bulls' culture began to change.

RBNY won their first major trophy later that year, the 2013 Supporters' Shield, and then captured the honor twice again in the five years since NYCFC first took the field. The Cityzens are still looking for their first silverware, but they've reached the playoffs in four consecutive seasons and are defending Eastern Conference regular season champions, not bad at all for a club still in its early years.