Schwartz: For Red Bulls' Grella, The New York Derby Hits Home

By Peter Schwartz
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Mike Grella will always remember May 10, 2015.

A native of Glen Cove on Long Island, Grella was part of history that day as he suited up for the Red Bulls in their first meeting against then-expansion NYCFC at Red Bull Arena. The Red Bulls won that first New York Derby game, 2-1, in front of a full house.

"Thirty, forty, fifty years down the line, I'll be able to look back and say that I was one of the few New Yorkers that got to play in the very first, which is something that I take a lot of pride in," Grella said. "This rivalry has been amazing."

The next chapter in the New York Derby will be held this Sunday afternoon in Harrison, New Jersey. After winning the first four games against NYCFC, including a 7-0 victory in the Bronx on May 21, the Red Bulls suffered their first loss in the rivalry back on July 3 at Yankee Stadium.

MORE: 'Soccer In The City' Podcast: Discussing NYCFC's Win Over Montreal And Upcoming Match Vs. Red Bulls

The Red Bulls have continued to analyze what happened in both of those matches, but the reality is every game is different. So this upcoming match should have an entirely unique feel.

"I think you definitely need to take something out of the first two games, but really every game since we've played them has been a new experience and a new challenge," Grella said. "As much as we'll take things from the previous games, this will be a completely different game."

This Sunday's meeting is the most meaningful match to date in the rivalry simply because of the standings.

NYCFC is currently in first place in the Eastern Conference with 33 points, three ahead of the Philadelphia Union, while the Red Bulls are in third place, five points back. A victory on Sunday could damage the Red Bulls' hopes of finishing in first place.

"It's a huge game and a huge occasion, especially because of the points at stake," said the 29-year-old Grella, who has tallied six goals and three assists this season. "They're above us right now in the table, so it's a key game in the season."

This has become quite a rivalry in a short period of time.

The Metrostars/Red Bulls had the NY/NJ market in Major League Soccer all to themselves from 1996 until 2014, but the situation now is decidedly better for both soccer in our area and the league. Whether it's Yankees/Mets, Jets/Giants, Rangers/Islanders/Devils or Knicks/Nets, the New York/New Jersey sports scene has always had plenty of rivalries.

But the derby between the Red Bulls and NYCFC is the first of its kind in our area and it means the world to Grella because he's a New Yorker. He is also no stranger to being part of a soccer rivalry because of his experience of playing for Leeds United in England.

"We got to play in Old Trafford for the FA Cup and ended up beating Manchester United 1-0 (in 2010). That was an amazing point in my career and although this New York Derby is a little different from that, it holds the same type of excitement," Grella said.

The atmosphere at Red Bull Arena this Sunday figures to be second to none as a sellout crowd of more than 25,000 is expected. While the Red Bulls have struggled on the road, they have enjoyed quite the home field advantage, going 7-2-1, as opposed to 1-7-3 away from Red Bull Arena.

They seem like a different team on their home pitch and that could spell trouble for NYCFC, but it's important to note that the guys from the Bronx have easily the best road record in the MLS (6-3-1). No other team has more than four road wins.

"At home, you can just see the confidence oozing from every player," Grella said. "It seems to me that we run more and we play better football. The fans are fantastic and the arena is amazing with the pitch and the atmosphere. It brings out the best in a lot of our players."

The Red Bulls will certainly have their hands full on what will be a very hot day as the forecast is calling for a high of 93 degrees.

They will have to devise a plan to contain NYCFC's star players, including renowned internationals David Villa, Andrea Pirlo, and Frank Lampard, plus rookie sensation Jack Harrison. Grella and the Red Bulls are well aware that they have to play their "A" game when any of those players are on the ball. If not, it could be a long afternoon.

"We're going to look to close them down, so it will present challenges," said Grella, a former star at Duke University. "They're not players that you ever want to fall asleep on because they command respect. We'll have to always keep an eye on them."

Having just played their archrivals a few weeks ago, the Red Bulls have that disappointing result fresh in their minds. But this Sunday, they're on their home field with their fans and that has been a very successful combination. The Red Bulls' good home cooking coupled with an expected sea of red in the stands could make life difficult for the visitors.

"If we execute and play with the high energy that we usually do, it will be difficult for them to play us and find any sort of success," Grella said.

Sunday's match marks the final meeting between the sides during the regular season, but there's always the chance they meet in the playoffs. Grella just might be able to draw on that FA Cup derby experience should the Red Bulls and NYCFC hook up again with literally everything on the line.

Don't forget to follow Peter on Twitter @pschwartzcbsfan. You can also follow @MikeGrella10 and @NewYorkRedBulls