“We had a tough one against them in the Open Cup, and we had a couple of early chances that we probably should have finished.”
That’s how Jack Harrison summed up the first meeting between NYCFC and the Red Bulls, just a week ago in the U.S. Open Cup. This weekend, the two clubs will meet again in this year’s first regular season edition of the Hudson River Derby.
Harrison, who scored in last season’s win over the team from Harrison, NJ, is very much aware of the difference finishing those types of early chances makes in a rivalry like this.
“We did a good job creating chances in the first half as well. I think if we can focus on that a little bit, and try and sustain that throughout the game, it will be an interesting game," Harrison predicted.
“I think if we can finish our chances early, it will be a completely different game.”
Instead of looking back at last week’s match between the two squads for answers, Harrison is confident that the winning formula for this weekend lies in NYCFC’s identity, and their ability to grind out results in tough conditions, like Saturday’s 2-1 victory over the defending MLS Cup champions.
He explained: “We definitely have confidence going into the game. We have been doing better. I think at some point we have to just focus on our game really. We know how they play, we know how to play around it as well. I think we can focus on that and just be as ready for the game as they are. It should be a really interesting match.”
Part of that confidence is undoubtedly due to the play of Yangel Herrera, who looks primed to make his Derby debut this weekend, after missing out on the most recent fixture due to the FIFA U-20 World Cup.
“He’s a talented player, a very talented player,” said Jack, “And he works hard in the midfield. He gives us that extra edge when we need it, and I think against a team like the Red Bulls you have to have that.
“It’s not always easy to come into the squad late in preseason the way he did, but he’s managed to settle down really well and get acclimated with the way we play. He’s done fantastic.”
In a hotly-contested Hudson River Derby, on a field surrounded by raucous supporters, that extra edge is exactly what the NYCFC midfield will be looking to provide for themselves.
In fact, the term “extra edge” might sum up what the entire day will be about. Much like Yangel, Jack knows that’s something to embrace on a stage like this.
“You see it at times. It can get physical, it can get intense, and I feel like there’s a lot of tension between us," Harrison added.
"Being a new team in New York, you don’t always get the rivalry we’ve had so soon. I think you can definitely feel that when you’re on the pitch.
You can feel the supporters, the atmosphere and everything, it’s really cool.”
