It didn’t happen in the MLS Cup playoffs or the Leagues Cup.
The last three US Open Cup matches left them in the red, too.
But on Wednesday, at the sixth time of asking, New York City FC finally beat the Red Bulls in the playoffs, winning 3-1 in the Open Cup at Sports Illustrated Stadium to reach the final stage of the tournament.
With the Red Bulls’ youth organization on the other side – 18-year-old Julian Hall scored and 17-year-old Adri Mehmeti and Matthew Dos Santos started – it was the gray-haired Maxi Moralez who opened up the opponent’s defense with three carbon-copy assists in the corner of the flag.
“I am very happy for everyone who loves our club… [at the] at the end of the day, we’re playing for them,” NYCFC coach Pascal Jansen told The Post of his team’s success.
“So to be a part of this historic moment, as you say, is a good thing. I hope we beat them many times at home, but also here.”
While NYCFC is the New York club that holds the MLS trophy – as its fans eagerly remind their rivals by chanting the word “stars” during the national anthem – the Red Bulls have historically dominated their opponents in the playoffs.
The last three Open Cup games between the teams have been decided by a combined score of 8-0 in favor of the Red Bulls, and in 2023 and 2024 the red team of New York dispose of their green neighbors in the League Cup and MLS Playoffs, respectively.
That awful record was quickly forgotten on Wednesday, however, as Kai Trewin, Raul Gustavo and Thiago Martins hit home goals and ended up saying “Who’s your daddy?” songs from the fan breakdown in Harrison.
There were plenty of jibes typical of the Hudson River Derby. But this time, the hubris of NYCFC fans was rewarded.
“We know very well the position we take in their lives, and it’s something I talked about going into this game, I made sure we see what this means to our fans,” said Jansen, adding that the away support was “nice.”
The Red Bulls’ defeat came despite Hall scoring his ninth goal of the season in all competitions, and after a pitch to his mother from the president of the Polish football association.
Poland, where his mother was born, didn’t qualify for the World Cup this summer, but the New York-born forward is starting to hear his name mentioned as a longtime member of Team USA.
“The World Cup has always been my dream,” he said after Wednesday’s defeat, before noting that he is now more focused on the Red Bulls.
Hall would have to wait another four years to score his first World Cup goal.
His next chance to beat NYCFC, will come soon.
The sides are scheduled for a regular season replay on May 16.
