As Heineken Rivalry Week gets underway, few games carry more weight than Saturday's New York Derby (8 pm ET | FS1, FOX Deportes) and its possible impact on both the New York Red Bulls and New York City FC as they chase silverware in 2021.
That's at least the perspective that co-hosts David Gass and Charlie Davies offered on Thursday's Extratime episode, pinpointing RBNY's quest to extend their 11 straight playoff appearances. Heading into Week 21, they sit 10th in the Eastern Conference standings and are five points below CF Montréal for a postseason spot.
"It has to happen right now because otherwise we're going to be talking about dead in the water," Davies said. "That'll be the Red Bulls."
The Red Bulls, on Wednesday night, snapped a seven-game winless streak with a 1-0 win against the Columbus Crew. But Davies expects more, pointing to forwards Patryk Klimala and Fabio as players who need to step up.
"Those are two players who can really hurt you if you give them opportunities, and I don't think they've played with enough direction to allow them to perform at the highest level," Davies said.
Then they turned their attention to the Bronx, with Gass noting of the Cityzens: "I think you look at NYCFC and you say, 'Well, we know you could beat Miami at home midweek, we know you can put up goals ... we know that backline's solidified, but to me, Charlie, this is a chance for them to show that they can win a big moment, big game and be a contender in the playoffs."
Davies agreed, saying that when he looks at NYCFC, he sees the roster of a contender, but one that needs to start putting up consistent results to match their talent.
"They have far too much talent to not be pushing for an MLS Cup, to be honest," Davies said. "So in order for them to do that, though, you need to start winning these big games.
"You know, you have Taty Castellanos, you have Maxi Moralez, you have Jesus Medina, you have Santiago \[Rodriguez\] and you have Thiago. I mean, those are all players who can hurt teams."
Gass, inquiring further, wanted to know if Castellanos was "the guy" on the blue side of New York. Davies acknowledged his importance, but also asserted that NYCFC aren't strictly a one-man show.
Check out the entire Extratime episode for more breakdowns.
