Red Bulls coach Sandro Schwarz and New York City FC coach Nick Cushing don’t expect to have to do much to get their respective squads ready for Saturday’s playoff edition of the Hudson River Derby.
Even after both teams have had somewhat lengthy breaks since defeating their first-round opponents in the MLS Cup Playoffs, the two rivals should be ready for an intense showdown at Citi Field.
“We got professional players here that if you can’t get yourself up for a semifinal against your rivals with a chance to progress, you’re playing the wrong sport,” Cushing said.
The Red Bulls toppled No. 3 seed FC Cincinnati in two games of a best-of-three in round one, while NYCFC took down the defending MLS Cup champs, the Columbus Crew, in three games.
But the Red Bulls’ quick series win and the international break means that they haven’t played in 20 days, and it will have been a full two weeks since NYCFC had taken the pitch for a competitive match when things kick-off at 5:30 p.m. Saturday.
The pause certainly quelled some of the momentum that both teams had been feeling following their series victories over two favored teams in the east.
Cushing called the break “not ideal” when he addressed reporters ahead of the Eastern Conference semifinal, but both coaches tried to use the downtime to their advantage. Cushing utilized the time for his players to get some rest and recovery, while Schwarz used it as a chance to prepare tactically for the upcoming match.
There won’t be too many surprises for either side considering how familiar the New York squads are with one another, but City holds the regular-season edge this year having swept the Red Bulls.
Nevertheless, that doesn’t seem to be something players on either side expect to factor into Saturday.
“I think when we play against them in playoff, it is going be a different game,” Red Bulls defender Andres Reyes said. “I think we will have a lot of emotion. This game could be one of the most important for us, so we have to be sharp.”
“I don’t think it really matters on who won before, who didn’t,” NYCFC defender Tayvon Gray added. “I think the focus is just on this one really because this one counts. I can say I beat you five times before and then we beat you in the playoffs. So I think it’s just lock in, focus on the game and that’s it.”
The two previous matches couldn’t have looked any different, with NYCFC edging the Red Bulls, 2-1, in May and then blowing them out, 5-1, in September at Red Bull Arena.
The recent history has given City an edge in who the favorite is going into the playoff showdown — the first between New York’s two MLS clubs.
“If you look at the last round, especially Miami, Columbus, Cincinnati, all out and if you looked before the playoffs started, they would have been the three favorites in the East,” NYCFC midfielder Justin Haak said. “And in these types of games where one mistake or one good moment could change the whole game, it really doesn’t matter who’s the favorite.”
There was some concern that one of the Red Bulls’ biggest offensive weapons, Lewis Morgan, might be out, but Schwarz confirmed Thursday that he would be available.
Morgan, along with fellow international Emil Forsberg, have proved to be deciding factors in matches for the Red Bulls all season. Morgan is still looking for his first postseason goal this year, but Forsberg had a goal and an assist in the Red Bulls’ last win.
Saturday’s game will mark the second time a Hudson River Derby match will take place at Citi Field, though the match only will have roughly 25,000 fans in the stands due to part of the Mets’ home being winterized for the offseason.
The Red Bulls have only played at Citi Field one other time and defender John Tolkin told The Post that the quality of the pitch is “horrible.”
“But that’s the circumstances both teams have to play in,” he said. “If we’re going to make excuses about the field already, then we’ve already lost. It’s certainly interesting walking into a baseball stadium and seeing a soccer field there. … I don’t think too many guys will be thinking about that once the whistle blows.”
The baseball stadium is next door to NYCFC’s future home., which is expected to be completed in time for the 2027 MLS season.
No groundbreaking has occurred yet, but an NYCFC spokesperson told The Post that they expect to break ground before the end of the calendar year and everything is still on track for the stadium to open in 2027.