New York is blue! New York is red!
The debate has raged on for 29 chapters of the Hudson River Derby.
But now, there's more than just Big Apple bragging rights on the line. New York City FC and the New York Red Bulls meet for the first time in the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs on Saturday in the Eastern Conference Semifinals (5:30 pm ET | MLS Season Pass).
Before the derby's biggest game yet, let's look back at some of the most memorable Hudson River Derby moments.
It is the most infamous of derby clashes.
The Red Bulls blitzed NYCFC for a historic 7-0 victory. Dax McCarty got the party started in the third minute (his first of two goals), Bradley Wright-Phillips scored a brace and the visitors enjoyed a monumental victory in the Bronx.
When NYCFC were announced as an expansion side ahead of the 2015 MLS season, the anticipation already started to build. And on May 10, 2015, in front of 25,217 fans at Red Bull Arena, the MLS originals drew first blood against the newcomers.
What stands out about this game was Wright-Phillips setting the tone with a pair of tallies in a 2-1 victory. He remains the Hudson River Derby's all-time leading scorer with 12 goals.
The early days of the Hudson River Derby weren't just a clash of colors; it was also about elite strikers. NYCFC had Villa, the former Barcelona great, and RBNY had Wright-Phillips, the two-time Golden Boot presented by Audi winner.
The two talismans put on a show, but Villa had the upper hand. He scored his first MLS hat trick to lead NYCFC to a 3-2 win at Yankee Stadium.
One of the most prolific goalscorers in Hudson River Derby history, Taty Castellanos was the catalyst in a comfortable 5-2 home victory for NYCFC.
The Argentine striker netted a hat trick, opening the scoring with a header in the 12th minute, before adding two late goals to send the Cityzens home happy on a rainy night in the Bronx.
The Red Bulls were dominant in a May 2018 matchup against their crosstown rivals, scoring early and often en route to a 4-0 beatdown over New York City. The hosts got on the board after only 65 seconds, as Kaku turned home a parried Wright-Phillips shot.
Less than two minutes later, Florian Valot found the back of the net, and it was off to the races, as RBNY surged to a huge home victory against NYCFC.
The 29th chapter, the most recent meeting between NYCFC and the Red Bulls, proved to be the Cityzens' most lopsided victory. NYCFC cruised to a 5-1 win on Sept. 28 at Red Bull Arena.
Alonso Martínez struck for a brace as NYCFC swept the regular-season series.
