Heading into Sunday night’s round of Leagues Cup games, the **New York Red Bulls** and **Atlético San Luis** were set to fight it out for a spot in the knockout rounds.
New England Revolution - the other team in the East 4 group - were already through, meaning any result other than an outright win in regulation time for the LIGA MX side would send the Red Bulls into the Round of 32 as well.
The Eastern Conference side would take the lead on the half-hour mark through Dante Vanzeir, before Jhon Murillo levelled it up ten minutes later. A dramatic final five minutes would first see Red Bulls goalkeeper Carlos Coronel save a penalty. The Brazilian shot-stopper then launched a counter-attack himself, which Vanzeir would then finish off for his second of the game.
The result means the Red Bulls have leapfrogged The Revs into first place in East 4, and their next opponent will be the runners-up of East 3 - none other than their local rivals, New York City FC.
Their Hudson River Derby rivals saw their final position confirmed in the wake of Atlas FC’s win over Toronto FC earlier in the evening.
Both teams have struggled for form this MLS season, with neither occupying one of the Eastern Conference spots to qualify for the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs. With local bragging rights as well as a spot in the Leagues Cup last 16 on the line, though, the two New York outfits will be keen to step up their game next week.
Their only other meeting this season was back in May. The New York Red Bulls came out 1-0 winners, getting their own back after New York City FC had done the double over their cross-city opponents in the previous campaign. Overall, it’s the Red Bulls that have the better record since the rivalry started back in 2015, with 14 wins to The Pigeons’ 8. Will they be able to extend that record?
