It’s Official: The New York Red Bulls are a Rival

Kevin Wallace

Rivalries in sports are the best. Rivalries in soccer are the best in sports. A combination of how engaged fans are during a match, how engaged clubs are in their local community, and the tradition of having traveling support in stadium all elevate rivalries in soccer. These rivalries transcend geographical boundaries, and for FC Cincinnati, one of their most intense adversaries has been the New York Red Bulls.

The rivalry between FC Cincinnati and the New York Red Bulls probably dates back to FC Cincinnati's historic Open Cup run in 2017. As a still new club in the American soccer landscape, FC Cincinnati faced off against the New York Red Bulls in the Open Cup Semi-Finals. After being up 2-0 in the 61st minute, the Jesse Marsch led Red Bulls subbed on MLS legend Bradley Wright Philips and eventually won 3-2 in extra time. A gut punch of a match that, thanks to the Men’s College World Series, was actually broadcast on ESPN. The nation got a taste of what would go on to become one of the best rivalries in American soccer.

Just a year later, the New York Red Bulls 2 managed to knock off the FC Cincinnati USL All-Star team from the USL Playoffs. An FC Cincinnati team that had, literally, crushed that league, was sent packing from the cities best chance at a postseason trophy in 25 years. This match was such a devastating blow to FC Cincinnati that they later panic-picked the star defender from that match, Hassan Ndam, in the 2019 expansion draft.

Just to complete the timeline, New York Red Bulls swept FC Cincinnati in 2019, which let’s be honest, who didn’t that year. But they weren’t blowouts by any means.

Fastforward to 2020 and just before the entire world was shut down due to Covid-19 FC Cincinnati faced the Red Bulls at the Red Bull Arena. In a tightly contested match, The FC narrowly lost 3-2. The most notable moment from this game though was newly signed DP Jurgen Locadia, almost literally just after he landed in the US, subbed in and scored in this match.

Then in the infamous (I’m calling it infamous) “MLS is Back” tournament, Cincinnati secured a thrilling 2-0 victory, marking their first-ever win against the Red Bulls thanks to Frankie Amaya’s best ever performance for the Orange and Blue. This triumph proved that the Orange and Blue could hold their own against one of the league's traditional powerhouses.

And we cannot forget the July 19th, 2022 match in which Lucho Acosta was unfairly red carded after Aaron Long was, allegedly, head-butted by the 5’3 Argentine. That red card produced one of the best moments in FC Cincinnati fan culture with with #FreeLucho silent protest on twitter. A Twitter spaces, where nobody spoke, was up for a full 72 hours where fans could join in, silently, to protest the treatment of their playmaker.

And of course, last year’s MLS Cup playoff match at Red Bull Arena saw the rivalry elevated to another level. Both teams now on nearly equal footing. After two regular season clashes full of diving, near fights, and oodles of drama, the playoff match between these two didn’t disappoint. An early lead for FC Cincinnati, a comeback by New York led to the defining play of the 2022 season for Cincinnati. Brandon Vazquez, who at this point was clearly going to be left off of the USMNT roster for the World Cup, leaves USMNT defender Aaron Long in the dust as Sergio Santos, a head scratcher of a signing up until this point, plays in Vazquez for the winning goal. Euphoria doesn’t begin to explain it.

Then there was last night. A tough, tough match between two established rivals. Taking a knockout match to penalties is pure drama. Red Bulls again managed to eliminate a Cincinnati lead, proving again to be one of the most annoying teams for Cincinnati to play. Lucho, somehow, found the legs after Hell is Real to go the full 120’, score the first kick in the shootout, and once again be the hero this city has longed for. And it was a rivalry match against the Red Bulls that again added to the legend that is Lucho in Cincinnati.

And by the way, the Red Bulls had never lost an Open Cup match at home before. Until FC Cincinnati came to town.

Rivalries are not solely defined by on-field action. The matches between FC Cincinnati and the New York Red Bulls have witnessed passionate crowds, both at home and away. This is largely thanks to FC Cincinnati supporters in Auxilia One, a supporter group based in New York. Anyone watching the broadcast last night absolutely heard them in full force singing the FCC song book.

To add to that, player movement plays a role here. Hassan Ndam being a bust after dominating FC Cincinnati in USL adds fuel to this rivalry. Then there’s the Frankie Amaya saga (scroll down for the time since Frankie left without thanking the fans) where Amaya demanded to leave Cincinnati and ended up with the Red Bulls. Then Cincinnati managed to snag Red Bull legend Matt Miazga thanks to the Allocation List, which was then subsequently abolished, probably because of the Miazga deal.

With a blend of fantastic storyline, intense matches, and fan passion, these clashes are overdue for being recognized as must-watch matches. The players may not even recognize this as a proper rivalry just yet, and we know Noonan won’t show any emotion around these (or any) matches, but the fans should.

As FC Cincinnati continues to establish itself in the MLS, the rivalry with the New York Red Bulls serves as a measuring stick for their growth and progress. These encounters continue to create unforgettable moments that should forever be etched in the minds of fans.

While the ebb and flow of competition may evolve over time, the intense battles and the animosity between FC Cincinnati and the New York Red Bulls will undoubtedly endure, solidifying tRed Bulls status as FC Cincinnati’s 3rd, and final rival after Louisville and Columbus.