Nick Cushing is anticipating a typical Hudson River Derby atmosphere when his side cross into New Jersey on Thursday night.
The Boys in Blue will face off against their rivals Red Bulls on Thursday in the Leagues Cup for the first time. The two teams are both keen on advancing to the Round of 16, with Red Bull Arena set to host the clash.
Cushing is familiar with the rivalry having been with NYCFC since 2020, and for that reason, he is expecting a repeat of previous encounters on Thursday - with a competitive and hectic fixture unfolding.
"I think the game is going to be a typical Hudson River Derby," Cushing said. "I think it's going to be feisty, it's going to be really competitive. I think what we see is the start of the game is always really hectic.
"We know that Red Bull want to keep the game hectic, we know that they want to keep the game messy, and they want to play off transition and force mistakes and attack from there.
"I was pleased with the last game, how we controlled the game with possession, how we controlled the chaos, but we didn't create enough. Lately, we've created a lot and I was critical of us not being clinical.
"We were clinical in the Toronto game and we know the level of performance that we have to have to win the game. The guys are super motivated. One because it's a derby, and two because it would mean back-to-back wins.
"We haven't had that for a while and there's a real drive and desire to continue getting positive results off the back of positive performances. We're not looking further ahead - of course, we want to go through."
Cushing also spoke of his enjoyment at being involved in the Leagues Cup.
The tournament has allowed NYCFC to gain further experience against Mexican competition, and after advancing from the group stages they now have the opportunity to bring silverware back to the Five Boroughs.
"I think you notice the differences in the logistics of the tournament whether it be the way the teams come out, the press conferences, the training times but that's the nature of the game," he said.
"We experienced this in the Champions League when we got in that competition. I have enjoyed it, it's an exciting competition.
He went on to add: "I love playing the teams from different leagues, and against the Mexican teams, it is exciting because it's different opposition. Now we're in the knockouts and this is why we're involved in sport because the margins are so small. When you lose you're out. So it's been an exciting competition for us and we hope it continues."
The proximity of the game against Red Bulls will facilitate more traveling fans, and Cushing took the opportunity to praise the role the Club's supporters play.
The players were blessed with a group of supporters that came to watch training on Wednesday, and the effort shown - both on Wednesday and in general - was not lost on the head coach during his press conference.
"All of our fans and especially these guys that have traveled to watch us train - they're so special to us," Cushing said.
"They're really important and I think we felt the fans behind us as our performances have improved. We really appreciate the support because in sport you have ups and downs and when there are downs you rely on the people within your team, the people within the stadium.
"I think it's a good marker of our football club when maybe things aren't going so well that our fans are fully behind us and we appreciate those fans. I'm going to go out now and see these guys now.
"I like having a dialogue with the fans because I think it's really important that we show them that we care but also that we really appreciate the support."
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