Nealis and Red Bulls “Pissed-Off” Ahead of Derby

New York Red Bulls are not happy following their 2-1 defeat to Nashville SC on Wednesday as they now look ahead to the first Hudson River Derby of 2025 at Citi Field on Saturday. Veteran defender and team leader Sean Nealis shared his thoughts on the teams frustration and how they plan to harness that against their rivals.

“We’ve got to take this pissed-off mindset right into the next match-up,” said Nealis about how the teams is attempting to stay motivated. “We don’t really have too much time to think about things. We’ve got to go out and play, go out and fight. That’s our mindset going into Saturday.”

Nealis and Red Bulls squandered their good fortune from last weekend where they battered LA Galaxy 7-0. It was one of the team’s biggest wins in their history, matched only by their 2016 7-0 win over this weekend’s opponents NYCFC. The stumble in Nashville is one that is frustrating, particularly because the team felt strong and motivated. Now, they look for their first road win of the season against their rivals in a place that has not been friendly to them in the regular season over the years.

“Everyone knows that this derby match-ups is always one of the biggest ones during the year,” said Nealis. “Myself, and the rest of the team, we want to go out and fight. We want to give everything for 90-plus minutes to go get the result we want.”

That result is one that could have major ramifications on the standings. Currently Red Bulls are ahead of NYCFC on goal differential but a win by City could sway the tiebreaker and snap NYC out of their current three-game funk. Similarly, Red Bulls have had their own woes of late, fluctuating between dominant wins and frustrating losses.

Head coach Sandro Schwarz has preached balance for his club, knowing that they are still looking for consistency in 2025. Even in their win over LA Galaxy, Schwarz spoke of moments where his team gave the opposition high quality chances. That is something he hopes to limit against a team with the firepower of NYCFC and players like Alonso Martinez.

“We have to find the right balance,” said Schwarz to the media. “Also to create our atmosphere and a clear focus for the next challenge. It’s nothing special now for tomorrow. Nothing changes in our style to create our atmosphere.”

Red Bulls travel to Citi Field to play NYCFC on Saturday afternoon. It is yet another quick turnaround for a club that has already played two games in the last seven days. There will be little rest following the game as New York will have to return to SI Stadium to play FC Dallas in the round of 16 of the US Open Cup.