Hudson River Derby day is here…
Head Coach Patrick Vieira has made one change from the team which started last weekend’s 3-1 win over FC Dallas.
READ:On the Line in NYCFC vs. Red Bulls
Back comes Maxime Chanot, who missed that Bronx bout due to a personal matter, in place of Sebastien Ibeagha who deputized with distinction on that outing.
Elsewhere, Ben Sweat continues at left back at Red Bull Arena, where he scored his first City goal in a 2-0 victory last term as part of a defense which also includes Alexander Callens and Anton Tinnerholm.
In midfield, it’s the Ring/Herrera/Moralez trinity which has served City so well in the last 12 months, while Jo Inge Berget and Jesus Medina continue out wide to either side of David Villa who scored his 400th and 401st career goals vs. Dallas last time out.
On the bench, Tommy McNamara, Ebenezer Ofori and Rodney Wallace are options should Vieira need them, along with Brad Stuver, Saad Abdul-Salaam and Kwame Awuah.
Ronald Matarrita and Ismael Tajouri-Shradi miss out through injury.
You can watch the game live on ESPN or listen live at NYCFC.com/Radio, with kick-off slated for 1.55pm.
READ: Major Keys to NYCFC vs. Red Bulls
NYCFC XI: Johnson, Tinnerholm, Chanot, Callens, Sweat, Ring, Herrera, Moralez, Medina, Berget, Villa (C)
Subs: Stuver, Ibeagha, Abdul-Salaam, Ofori, Awuah, McNamara, Wallace
Key Stats
- After losing the first four Hudson River Derbies, New York City FC has won three of the last five (1L-1D). The draw last August was the first in the rivalry’s history in league play.
- Last weekend marked the fifth time this season that the Red Bulls have scored 3+ goals in a league match. They did so seven times in the 2017 regular season.
- The Cityzens’ 3-0 loss at Portland snapped a streak of 11 consecutive MLS away matches with a goal (inc. playoffs). They have not been shut out in back-to-back league road games since Oct. 30, 2016-Mar. 4, 2017 (22 games since).
- NYCFC had 60.2% possession with only 75.4% passing accuracy against FC Dallas, joining the New York Red Bulls, LA Galaxy and Real Salt Lake as the only teams to have over 60% of the ball with less than 76% passing accuracy since May 2015. Since the start of 2010, teams that have over 60% possession with less than 76% accuracy are 4W-24L-15D in regular season action.
- This year, the Red Bulls have the lowest passing accuracy in the league (70.4%), but lead the league in shots on target per game (7.7).
- So far this year, the Red Bulls are second in the league in expected goals per game (2.44) and have the fourth lowest expected goals against per game (1.33). City are ninth in expected goals per game (1.78) and seventh lowest in expected goals against (1.55).
- City have conceded five headed goals so far this year, the most of any team in the league. The Red Bulls have scored six headed goals against NYCFC since 2015, tied for the most headed goals scored by an MLS team against one opponent in regular season action in that time frame.
- Last Saturday’s victory marked the first time in his 146 career MLS appearances that Bradley Wright-Phillips recorded multiple assists in a match.
- David Villa scored his 400th and 401st professional goals for club and country last weekend. It was his 15th brace since joining MLS, three more than any other player.
- Yangel Herrera had eight tackles last weekend against FC Dallas. While twelve other players have recorded eight or more tackles in a game so far this season, Herrera is the only player in the league who has done so twice.
