The New York Red Bulls are two wins away from their first Major League Soccer (MLS) Cup title.

The Red Bulls defeated rival New York City FC, 2-0, at Citi Field Nov. 23 to advance to the Eastern Conference Final. That match marked the first postseason Hudson River Derby between the two clubs. Goals from Felipe Carballo and Dante Vanzeir in the first half provided enough offense as goaltender Carlo Coronel held NYC FC scoreless for a clean sheet.

While the playoff game was away, throngs of Red Bulls supporters were heard and seen throughout the broadcast on Apple TV, growing louder as the team went all the way to victory. That included 646 tickets the Red Bulls purchased for team supporters, staff and players’ family members as a thanks and to fill the Citi Fields stands with some more red.

“Great performance today,” said head coach Sandro Schwartz. “I want to say thank you to all the supporters in our stadium, and this was great, great atmosphere in the stadium and our support. It’s a big win today.”

Something to celebrate

This marks the club’s first Eastern Conference Final appearance since 2018. Schwartz is in his first year leading the Red Bulls.

“We stand it up like a team. And I said it from the beginning, this is what it’s all about,” said Captain Emil Forsberg, also in his first season with the club. Forsberg noted how proud he was of how the team delivered the match, which he said wasn’t an easy one. “I’m happy about the result, and we’re looking forward – we have a big game next week.”

On Nov. 30, the Red Bulls head to Florida to take on Orlando SC, which defeated the Atlanta United. That match at Inter&Co Stadium begins at 7:30 p.m.

The winner advances to the MLS Cup, meeting the winner of the LA Galaxy and Seattle Sounders FC match for the title.

This season, the Red Bulls’ record against Orlando stands at 1-0-1. The faceoffs include a 1-0 win June 1 at Red Bull Arena in Harrison.

Beginning at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, the Red Bulls will host an Eastern Conference Final Viewing Part at Mulligan’s Pub in Hoboken. The event will feature trivia and giveaways as well as a live DJ and more.

Given the woes of the two New York professional football teams at the moment, this Red Bulls playoff run has offered the area some much-needed buzz. The opportunity to continue the ride comes Saturday.