If you name some of the fiercest derbies in football you’d probably think of the Merseyside Derby, El Clasico, the Manchester Derby, or the Old Firm.
But while football might be quite a new-fangled thing in the US, it seems they love a good local derby.
However passions yet again spilled over into violence as New York City fans were involved in ugly clashed with rivals Red Bulls before the game.
It started with some ripping up of shirts by fans…
At the NYCFC vs NYRB game today where home fans are spitting on and ripping up NYRB flags. Cars driving over them… pic.twitter.com/kQOHkm33Lz
— Garry Hayes (@garryhayes) May 21, 2016
And then some lairy chanting by the NYCFC fans in the sky blue of parent club Man City…
— Garry Hayes (@garryhayes) May 21, 2016
But then the atmosphere really turned sour outside the Yankee Stadium when fans clashed…
Red Bulls fans arrived and then it got nasty. Feels like England in the 80s… pic.twitter.com/VJIKyDYlC3
— Garry Hayes (@garryhayes) May 21, 2016
Here's another video from the earlier clashes with NYCFC and NYRB fans outside Yankee Stadium… pic.twitter.com/NTfWPuyiWt
— Garry Hayes (@garryhayes) May 21, 2016
It’s not the first time fan violence has hit the fixture. Despite only playing each other four times, supporters faced off in the streets of New Jersey last time out with objects thrown in the skirmish before police sirens interrupted the two factions.
In New Jersey and immediately encounter crowd trouble ahead of the New York derby (Red Bulls-City). Video: pic.twitter.com/slY3hYn5aM
— Rob Harris (@RobHarris) August 9, 2015
Inside the ground things got even worse for fans of NYCFC as Red Bulls absolutely blew them away on the pitch.
A quick-fire double from Bradley Wright-Phillips had NYRB up 3-0 at half time, including this cheeky bicycle kick…
Get on your 🚲, @TheRealBWP! the #RBNY forward gives the @NewYorkRedBulls a 3-0 lead. Heineken #RivalryWeek https://t.co/SNUKujRhNP
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) May 21, 2016
Andrea Pirlo and captain David Villa had no answer for the movement and speed of the Red Bulls.
Even Frank Lampard’s introduction couldn’t stem the tide of goals, and the former Chelsea and Man City man was booed as he came on in the 75th minute.
The 600 Red Bulls fans who were allocated tickets must have been in dreamland as the final whistle went, giving NYC their biggest defeat in their history – and the joint largest since MLS began.
NYC still sit in second, one point ahead of their New York rivals.
Scoreboard at Yankee Stadium… pic.twitter.com/F3YjAZvF8n
— Garry Hayes (@garryhayes) May 21, 2016
