Red Bulls triumph in Hudson River Derby

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 18: Julian Hall #16 of the New York Red Bulls (Photo by Jordan Bank/Getty Images)

New York City FC 0-1 Red Bull New York

BRONX, NY–It would be New York native Julian Hall to score the winning goal to secure a victory that meant more than just three points for Red Bull New York. You could say it was a win that came against the run of play as Ethan Horvath had to stand tall and deny numerous efforts from the hosts.

The first half was not exactly filled with chances as it seemed both teams set up with a more cautious approach to the match, which is usually typical for a game of this magnitude. NYCFC started off the second half positively, creating a few opportunities and going close to taking the lead. Shortly after, it would be the Red Bulls that would take the lead.

James Sands under hit a back pass to his goalkeeper and Hall raced onto the loose pass before rounding Matt Freese and tapping into an empty net.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 18: Julian Hall #16 and Mohammed Sofo #37 of the New York Red Bulls. (Photo by Jordan Bank/Getty Images)

“I’m super pumped after the win,” said Hall. “It was a massive fight from the team. It was not easy, so we’re just happy.”

It was the 18 year old’s 10th goal of the season and now becomes the youngest player in MLS history to score this number in a single season.

NYCFC would not go down without a fight however, and kept on knocking on the door, pushing for an equalizer. Benie Traore would see his point blank effort saved by Horvath in the final minutes of the game, showing that it just was not going to be their day in front of goal.

“Ethan has been ready to make some big plays,” said head coach Michael Bradley. “He’s been there for us and the guys in the back.”

This victory would enable RBNY to leapfrog their city counterparts in the table, moving up to eight in the table and maintaining their position in the playoff places.

Next time out, Michael Bradley’s side have a first ever matchup with St. Louis City SC on Saturday September 26 at Sports Illustrated Stadium.

Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET with coverage on Apple TV in English and Spanish.