HANOVER, N.J. – New York, New York.
On either side of the isle of Manhattan, a tale of two teams is being written as the New York Red Bulls and New York City FC get set to conclude their three-game season series at Red Bull Arena on Sunday night (7 pm ET; Fox Sports 1, TSN2).
As an expansion side, NYCFC have experienced some of the growing pains you would expect to find in a club navigating their first campaign through an arduous MLS season. Injuries and lack of depth made for a rough start as City managed just one win in their first 12 matches. But as the calendar turned to summer, sweeping roster changes came along with it.
Much like Red Bulls teams of years past, NYCFC dedicated significant financial resources into acquiring some of the most recognizable names in world soccer. With the World Cup veterans Frank Lampard and David Villa already in tow, they doubled down to bring in Italian legend Andrea Pirlo and La Liga veteran Andoni Iraola, along with promising young talents Angelino and Jefferson Mena.
If it wasn’t apparent already, there should be no doubt left that the tables have turned.
The once free-spending Red Bulls have seemingly tightened the purse strings, electing to go after lesser-known commodities that fit a need as opposed to cherry picking the top names on the market.
“There are obviously a lot of similarities in terms of how we used to be and how we used to operate,” Red Bulls captain Dax McCarty said of NYCFC’s spending philosophy. “But you can see that the guys that they’re paying big bucks are difference makers. David Villa has been one of the best players in the league, so you get what you pay for.”
Villa has certainly provided plenty of bang for the buck, finding himself third in the league scoring charts with 13 goals. But for others, the adjustment has been far from seamless.
Lampard’s injury woes have seen him take the field for just 20 minutes this season. And after a promising debut, Pirlo struggled in City’s home loss to Montreal last weekend. But in McCarty’s eyes, it’s only a matter of time before the NYCFC’s star power pans out.
“They spent of lot of money, and they’re expected to do well, but it’s not always easy,” McCarty added. “It’s difficult to try to integrate a roster where you have guys making very little money and guys making really big money. It’s tough for those guys that are used to playing at the top level. I know it wasn’t easy for Thierry [Henry] to come here and have to adjust the way that he played to what the level was.”
After an era that saw likes of Henry, Tim Cahill, and Rafa Marquez come and go, the Red Bulls have moved on, having a fair bit of success in the process. No longer reliant on one or two larger-than-life talents, the collective unit has helped propel the Red Bulls to second-place in the East, boasting a perfect 2-0 record against their crosstown rivals.
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“There’s a lot of differences in the way that we play this year and the way that they play,” McCarty said. “We’re a team that’s moved away from the big-name stars. We’re a team that needs every single player on the field to pick up their level 10, 20 percent if we want to be successful. We’re not a team where one guy’s going to hurt you. On any given day, five or six guys can contribute to how we win the game.”
While they've left a bit of the glitz and glamour behind, the Red Bulls still have two Designated Players on their roster – but not nearly of the same ilk as their predecessors.
Argentine winger Gonzalo Veron, the club’s youngest-ever DP, now joins Bradley Wright-Phillips in that category, giving the Red Bulls plenty of attacking options. In contrast to NYCFC’s approach, RBNY have dedicated themselves to a youth movement with their eyes firmly set on the future.
“New York’s felt that they wanted to make a big splash in the market because they’re a new team, and they have with their signings,” head coach Jesse Marsch said. “They have their own approach and philosophy and we have ours. Ours is just trying to build a foundation for years to come, and it includes more young players. We’re investing in young players and our academy, so it’s nice to be here and have such a nice infrastructure in all areas of what a club is and to be able to build on it from there.”
Big names or no, the results are what define both clubs at season’s end. So far, the city’s established club has bested the newcomers. But with one game between the two still to play, a season sweep is on the minds of many.
“Names don’t win games,” midfielder Felipe said. “We’ve shown them in both games that in New York, there is only one team. We just need to prove another time that New York is red. We can’t wait to beat them again.”
