Viewfinder: New York City FC vs New York Red Bulls

Citi Field

Queens, New York

November 23, 2024

Photographed by Matthew David Stith for Major League Soccer
Through the Viewfinder: New York City FC v New York Red Bulls, Eastern Conference semifinal, November 23, 2024.

Twice a season New York City FC and New York Red Bulls bridge the gap created by the Hudson River to battle it out for 3 points, regular season bragging rights and the chance to stake a claim over the city.

However, this weekend the Hudson River Derby took on a whole new dimension as two of U.S. football’s fiercest rivals met in the Audi USA MLS Cup Playoffs - a clash of ideas, styles and values on full display on the biggest stage.

On the sidelines to capture all the action first hand was photographer and Football Case Study member, Matthew Stith. A NJ native but resident of NYC for the past 7 years, for Matt, the derby, one of the best adverts for MLS, was a moment in American football history he wasn’t going to miss.

“I really wanted to capture the energy as it’s such a fierce derby, you can really feel the animosity between these two sides, with very different histories, who both claim to fly the flag for the city.”

Aside from the creative challenge of shooting in a venue not designed for football, hosting the game at Citi Field (home to MLB’s New York Mets) showed how far football has come in the U.S. “It just displays the sport’s inherent flexibility, the ability to creatively adapt to different situations- the fact that you can host a game at a baseball stadium and it still be packed out with a feisty atmosphere is something great to see.”

Football Case Study