Top 5 rivalries in Major League Soccer history

#2 New York Red Bulls vs New York City FC - Hudson River Derby

NYCFC's Frank Lampard in an altercation with Red Bulls' Sacha Kljestan

The Hudson River Derby—commonly known as the New York Derby, was first played in 2015, right after the inception of 'The Boys in Blue' that is the New York City FC.

However, it can be said that the rivalry originally began in 2013 when the official announcement of NYCFC was being confirmed by the MLS during that year. The two teams have faced each other for a total of 10 times, out of which the NY Red Bulls won a total 6 matches compared to NYCFC’s 3 victories.

Despite having three wins to their name, The Blues did not have the opportunity of enjoying a decent start to the rivalry, after losing the first four matches against the Red Bulls—out of which, one was a heavy 7-0 defeat.

The first meeting between the two sides saw the Red Bulls emerge victorious by a scoreline of 2-1, with Red Bulls’ star striker Bradley Wright-Phillips scoring the first goal in the match. However, it is New York City FC’s David Villa who scored the first ever hattrick in this derby after he bagged three goals against the Red Bulls in 2016, in a 3-2 win for his team.

Wright Phillips after scoring against NYCFC

Despite being officially started just over two years ago, this rivalry between the two sides has been really intense. The derby also witnessed pretty heated moments over these past few years one of them being, when NY Red Bulls fans mocked Andrea Pirlo and Frank Lampard (who represented the NYCFC side) by calling them old.

However, when it comes to action on the pitch, Bradley Wright Phillips remains as the all-time top scorer in this derby with 10 goals to his name. Spanish striker David Villa remains in second with 4 goals to his name.

David Villa celebrating a goal against The Red Bulls

The city of New York has a very rich history with top-level soccer in the US, with the New York Cosmos representing the city in the North American Soccer League.

To this very day, the New York Derby remains as one of the most anticipated derbies in MLS history and has been a real treat to watch for supporters of both sides, as well as for neutral football fans around the globe.