This was controversial because the ball hit Maxime Chanot on the chest before bouncing off his arm, which was near his body. Admittedly, this could be argued, but in the final minutes of stoppage time, Elfath awarded the Red Bulls a penalty kick. The referee could not get a handle on the game, and then he took control of the score. Four yellow cards were handed out between both teams following the red card, and then numerous fouls were called as well. But Elfath could not manage the game, and the match became even more heated. They definitively became more of a stronger opponent, but NYCFC held their own, and were still able to compete despite being down a man. Ronny Deila himself called the call “very soft“.Īfterwards, the Red Bulls began to have more chances in the attack.
He made contact, hence why a yellow would be warranted, but a straight red made no sense. Alas, due to gravity and the laws of physics, there was nothing Parks could do. There was some drag, and as both players fell, he kicked the higher part of Yearwood’s legs. Parks did not intentionally go for the legs, and at first his studs were down. Yet, when both the commentators on MSG, the network for the Red Bulls, and then the commentators on YES, the network for NYCFC, are all puzzled to how that was a red card, then clearly the wrong decision was made. It could have even been a yellow card, for Parks did make contact at the end. When looking at the foul, it was clear the foul was a foul. Immediately, a red card was shown, and Parks was sent off. Keaton Parks went to tackle the ball away from Dru Yearwood, and ended up tackling him to the ground. But then, everything changed in the 73rd minute. Terrible refereeing changed the matchįor a while, New York City FC looked like they were on the road to a comfortable win against the New York Red Bulls. But that all changed in the second half when Elfath decided to become the star of the derby. The striker, who had made a strong run into the box, took one look at goal, and shot the ball into the right corner, putting NYCFC in front.Īs the match went on, New York City FC continued to control the game, and led in possession and attacking opportunities. Once again, the Argentine connection came into play, and Maxi Moralez pushed the ball into the path of Castellanos. Then finally, in the 31st minute, the deadlock was broken. Sean Johnson kept the match at bay by making two critical saves in that timespan, including a quick reaction save against a hard-hit strike from Wikelman Carmona.īut, as the minutes ticked on, the Pigeons started to dictate the pace of play, and increased their opportunities in the attack. They were a tad messy, and the Red Bulls had a few chances in the first 25 minutes. Poor refereeing by Ismail Elfath led to controversial decisions, which determinately led to the final score.Īt first, the usually exciting Hudson River Derby fixture started off slowly for NYCFC. The first game was played on Wednesday evening, and the two sides saw the game end in a 1-1 draw. This time, thanks to the postponement, NYCFC and the Red Bulls will face each other twice in one week for the first time. For NYCFC, some of the most thrilling games include the nine-man draw back in 2018, and then the 5-2 win from just last season, where Valentín Castellanos scored a hat-trick. In the past, the Hudson River Derby has been entertaining and crazy.