Throughout the history of sports, there are heated rivalries between major cities and states. Los Angeles-San Jose, Seattle-Portland and Montreal-Toronto are some to name a few. And wherever you’re from there are hated memories of your biggest foe. Looking back throughout the times, the cities of Philadelphia and New York including New Jersey have waged battles in every sport one can think of.
Baseball has seen the Phillies and Mets duke it out in the NL East. Even the 2009 World Series between the Phillies and Yankees was a big deal across the nation. Basketball will likely see a possible series between the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia Sixers. That could determine who represents the Eastern Conference in the Finals. Fans in the northeast could argue the National Football League’s best rivalry is between the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles. And of course the physicality turns in hockey whenever the New Jersey Devils or New York Rangers take on the Flyers. All teams mentioned have battled in historic playoff duels, adding fuel to the fire between fanbases that have long despised each other for generations.
And yet, this weekend’s game between the New York Red Bulls and Philadelphia Union, there’s barely any sizzle or hate whatsoever. Such a thing is hard to imagine given what’s gone on over the past 40-50 years in these sports markets. It’s odd the more one thinks about it, so let’s take a gander at why this is the case.
Very few memorable matchups/moments
When the Philadelphia Union entered Major League Soccer as a new franchise back in 2010, nothing much followed. They didn’t succeed immediately in the ways that an Atlanta United or Los Angeles FC have in recent years. The very first meeting was a 2-1 Red Bulls victory back in April 2010, with the same score going in favor of the Union later in October of that year.
One of the very first memories that got the ball rolling was from the legendary Thierry Henry. New York had won 3-0 and completed a season sweep of Philadelphia at the now-called Subaru Park. After the full-time whistle, Henry, sensing a local rivalry flavor given the proximity of the teams, taunted the Union fans. The Frenchman kissed and waved them all goodbye as the Red Bulls headed for the playoffs that season while Philadelphia finished 8th out of a then 10-team Eastern Conference. You could hardly blame him for teasing opposition fans, given his superb performances for Arsenal and Barcelona in the North London Derby and El Clasico respectively.
The 2010s remain the most successful period in Red Bulls’ history, making the playoffs every year while winning their first ever trophy – the Supporter’s Shield in 2013, 2015 and 2018. Philadelphia’s foray up in that same decade was spoiled by having their own playoff failures mixed with U.S. Open Cup finals losses, the majority of those at home. But were there any matchups that come to mind between these two?
Knockout-style football is intense and it was when the Red Bulls hosted the Union in the 2017 U.S. Open Cup Round of 16. After 120 minutes of pulsating action at Red Bull Arena, the game would go to penalties. New York would eventually advance 5-3 in the shootout en route to the final before losing to Sporting Kansas City. But the biggest game came two years later.
The tables turned in 2019, the Red Bulls struggled, while Philadelphia roared to the 3-seed in the East. Philly had never won a playoff game, much less one at home this was their first ever meeting against New York. It was a classic, the Union winning 4-3 in extra time after falling behind 3-1 in the contest.
This, after the playoff loss to the Philadelphia Union, proved to be their final moment together on the field as New York Red Bulls players.
— Franco Panizo (@FrancoPanizo) November 21, 2019
And they knew it, too.#RBNY #MLSpic.twitter.com/eUV8UFL2Vk
The match would prove to be a turning point for both franchises.
Will Red Bulls-Union ever become a big heated rivalry?
The easy answer is yes. Philadelphia’s 11th campaign has seen them go through many highs and lows. Union are coming off winning the 2020 Supporters’ Shield in a shortened season. Both teams on paper look evenly matched which will make for some hard fought games. Believe it or not, there is a current link to both organizations: their investment in youth.
New York’s plan on youth has been alive and well for years. They’ve brought on the likes of Tyler Adams, Aaron Long, Florian Valot, etc. And currently, the team boasts young talents such as Caden Clark, Frankie Amaya, Kyle Duncan and more. Philadelphia is catching on after grooming and selling Brenden Aaronson and Mark McKenzie, others will follow. The objective of constantly bolstering youth academies will pit these two clubs against each other.
• Zack Steffen: Philadelphia Union academy — Manchester City
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) October 5, 2020
• Tyler Adams: New York Red Bulls Homegrown — RB Leipzig
• Timothy Weah: New York Red Bulls academy — Lille
• Ulysses Llanez: LA Galaxy academy — Wolfsburg II pic.twitter.com/pUdCzSjyj9
But on the field, starting this weekend, Red Bulls-Union can plant seeds in heating up the matchup. It is early but games like this will go a long way in determining playoff seeding. Look for New York to take advantage of Philadelphia’s midweek tango with the New England Revolution. Rivalries never die, but Red Bulls-Union has yet to come alive.
