If there’s anything better than winning a derby match, putting your rival on the brink of elimination might just be it.
For New York City FC, that was the blueprint on Saturday night, as they defeated the New York Red Bulls 3–2 at Sports Illustrated Stadium, putting their rivals’ hopes of extending their 15-year MLS Cup Playoff streak into heavy doubt heading into the final two matches.
Thiago Martins scored the winning goal for NYCFC, heading home a free kick in the 65th minute, while Nicolas Férnandez Mercau and Andres Perea also found the back of the net for the visitors. Meanwhile, 17-year-old Julian Hall and Emil Forsberg scored for the Red Bulls in the losing effort.
New York City has the lead again! 😳
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) September 28, 2025
Thiago Martins slams it in to make it 3-2. pic.twitter.com/uaUEQpxkHU
The loss put the Red Bulls five points short of Chicago Fire FC for the final berth in the 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs, while NYCFC rose to third in the Eastern Conference, putting themselves three points above fifth place. A top-four finish would secure home advantage in the best-of-three first round.
It also marked the fourth straight regular-season Hudson River Derby win for NYCFC, their longest-ever win streak in the matchup, and just the second time in the rivalry’s history, having previously fallen to the Red Bulls in 2015 and 2016.
“It’s massive,” said NYCFC head coach Pascal Jansen of the sweep. “I was very pleasantly surprised by how many blue shirts I saw in this red stadium, because I was told in the beginning of the week that the people from New York, that is from our side, do not like to come to this stadium.”
“Winning the two games this season against the Red Bulls means a lot to our fans, obviously, but also, the response in the dressing room was massive, because we have a few guys at our homegrown as well, so they know exactly what it feels like to win this.”
Adapting Without Martinez
While the loss all but slashes the Red Bulls’ hopes of returning to the postseason, it allows NYCFC to dream in a way they haven’t since winning MLS Cup in 2021. Not only did they secure all three points, but they did so without leading scorer Alonso Martínez, who missed the game due to injury.
Without Martinez, The Pigeons leaned on other key contributors, including new Designated Player midfielder Nicolas Férnandez Mercau, who helped control attacking play, opened the scoring and led the team to a seventh win in eight games that he has been a part of.
In addition to Fernandez, homegrown center back Justin Haak stood out in his partnership with Martins. All of the adjustments led to the historic win and a chance at the vital top-four spot, which they will hope to secure through the two remaining matches.
“It’s a confirmation of what we’ve seen this year,” NYCFC head coach Pascal Jansen said. “What I always tell my guys is this is part of our toolbox, so we can always grab that tool whenever necessary, and today we show that again.”
Freese Injury Causes Concern
Although most of the match was a success, an injury in the 10th minute forced NYCFC and USMNT star goalkeeper out of the game, leaving his status questionable moving forward.
Freese made one stop before exiting, and his replacement, Tomas Romero, saw out the result. Yet, Jansen was unable to provide an update on his starting goalkeeper after the match due to a head contact injury.
“Matt is a key player for our team and has done very well this season, helping the team a lot, so hopefully the damage is not too big, and he will be available again soon,” Jansen said. “On the other hand, it’s also very important that we realize that every player on the team has to be prepared for the playoffs, so if Matt has to take a little more time to prepare himself for the playoffs, Tomas is an excellent substitute.”
NYCFC will return to the pitch on Oct. 4 when they take on the Eastern Conference-leading Philadelphia Union, before looking forward to Decision Day on Oct. 18 against Seattle Sounders FC.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘Massive’—NYCFC’s MLS Cup Dreams Boosted with Hudson River Derby Sweep.
