The Red Bulls kick off their conference final tie with Atlanta today

The one New Jersey/New York team Johnny really pulled for starts the conference final tie (Americans and Canadians call them a 'home and home' series) with the Atlanta Braves, er Hawks, um, no, Falcons? It can't be the Thrashers, they're gone. Anyway, the Red Bulls play at Atlanta United at 5:30pm. It would be so Red Bulls to get this far again and lose but something tells Johnny they can win the Eastern Conference. If the Red Bulls play an in your face style against Atlanta and force them into giveaways and less possession, like they did previously this season, maybe the South Ward will still be chanting, “You can’t beat us,” in the return match at Red Bull Arena on Thursday.

NYCFC fans can go put on their Red Bull hats now.

So it begins; Red Bulls vs NYCFC tonight!

Johnny will be there tonight signing autographs for the kids but let's NOT bury the lead, tonight in Harrison at Red Bulls Arena brings the first match between The New Jersey Red Bulls and NYCFC. In what Johnny is calling the Hudson River Derby tonight all MLS soccer eyes will be out in Harrison as a rivalry is born. The noobs, NYCFC and their star David Villa (Who happens to be Johnny's favorite player, mea culpa) take the PATH out to Harrison to take on the Red Bulls, yet another team living and playing in New Jersey who demand NYC's attention, as Stannis Baratheon would say, "Like beat dogs." and a team whose initial season thus far and lead up to it could be called second class. The NYCFC parent club Manchester City has enough money to make Solomon blush and yet the Cityzens must go to Yankee Stadium to watch them play because they don't have a stadium of their own. Manchester City, according to rumors, is ready to give Bayern Munich manager Pep Guardiola more money to manage their underwhelming European adventures than it would take to get NYCFC a real home. NYCFC also spent a good deal of time pushing season tickets with the promise of Man City's Frank Lampard coming to town only to have to admit after the fact, yeah they pretty much lied, he'd never signed an MLS contract at all and was staying at Manchester City at least until summer. Classic.

But, as the Devils and Rangers have managed to co-exist/co-hate one another Johnny thinks this is gonna be a fun derby. Sure, it'll take a wicked red card on someone's behalf or a great ending to really put the juice into it but it'll be great for local soccer fans.

To be honest Johnny's not an MLS fan. He doesn't watch usually unless the Red Bulls are playing a late match out west on a Saturday night. If that makes him a Euro snob it just does. He knows who he's going to support however in the Hudson River Derby. Sorry Mr. Villa, normally Johnny cheers wildly FOR you but as of today he's choosing a state, not a team.

GO Red Bulls!

We're just not sure what the Red Bulls are doing advertising-wise

Whether it be on their website or Twitter ads the New York Red Bulls (who have made their home in Harrison NJ forever) are plastering scenes and images of NYC all over their promotional materials. So, are the Red Bulls trying to shore up wavering fans who might be changing allegiances to an actual NYC team in NYCFC? Are they trying to let NYC fans know "He we play around here too?" Are they pissing off this New Jersey resident with this advertising? Oh you better believe it. In Johnny's opinion the Red Bulls have been kicking around the greater NJ/NYC area for over a decade and not doing a whole lot to truly become this region's MLS team. Wanna know who obviously agrees with Johnny? The MLS or why would they have dropped Manchester City's little club over at Yankee Stadium? If the Red Bulls were a hugely successful and iconic team here that move may have been to another city for Man City. It wasn't though and the fanbase was ripe to be picked over by NYCFC.

It does not help the Red Bulls that Thierry Henry left after last season while David Villa arrives at NYCFC and after the first home game is treated to this. When was the last time that happened in Harrison after a Red Bulls game? What did the Red Bulls, so successful in their playoff run last season do to improve and bring fans to Harrison? Fired their manager and not a whole lot else. Johnny's of the mind if the Red Bulls don't figure out a real marketing plan (and it's going to involve the Red Bulls actually stooping to advertising to New Jersey residents and having events in New Jersey unlike their big one coming up in Brooklyn).

Johnny fears if the Red Bulls don't start grabbing the attention of New Jersey residents and those closest to Red Bull Arena they could be gone in time. They've never really captured the imagination of NYC residents in the numbers they'd hoped. Their success or failure is going to stand on whether or not they really love where they play or still wantonly just keep looking east across the Hudson River because those fans have a new team to call their own.

Does New Jersey?

Red Bulls at home tonight vs Portland

In their last home match until June 27th the Red Bulls are home to the Portland Timbers tonight with the match getting underway at 7pm. If you want to take in some live soccer before the World Cup kicks off in three weeks, tonight is the night to do it. Portland is bringing up the rear in the Western Conference while the Red Bulls are in the middle of the pack in the east. A win tonight could move #RBNY into fourth place.

Take the PATH to Harrison. Get off. Head to the large stadium on your left. Good times!

We had no idea MLS was doing so well

Could it be that the New York Red Bulls will have some cross-Hudson rivals in the near future? It would seem so as Major League Soccer is planning to plop a new team in Queens and the move has the support of Governor Cuomo and Mayor Mike. Flushing Meadows in the place they want to build the 25,000 seat stadium. MLS wants to add some land to the haul to build (on their dime) 9 soccer fields in addition to the big stadium (Did MLS do this for the Red Bulls out in Harrison?). We'll see how this plays out but it does raise some interesting questions.

Can the Red Bulls continue to be the New York Red Bulls playing in Harrison New Jersey with a team actually from New York City proper playing nearby? The Jets/Giants case isn't quite comparable as there is no Brooklyn Ogres or such team. Seriously, they may have to become the New Jersey Red Bulls or risk some backlash. And back to a previous question, why NOW and why NYC for the MLS cash drop?

Ah well, all things that'll be worked out in time. We do know this, send us your NYC-proper teams and we'll send them back tenderized.

If you're looking for something fun to do tonight head out to Harrison and catch the NY Red Bulls

It'll be a raucous crowd at Red Bull Arena tonight when the home side plays DC United at 7:30. The two teams will be playing for the Atlantic Cup tonight as if you needed another reason to sit in the late day sunshine into a mild evening. The Red Bulls crushed Toronto FC earlier this week in Harrison 5-0 and are back up at the top of the table (soccer talk for standings). Red Bulls forward Juan Agudelo, one of the fresh faces in MLS as well as the US National Team had two goals against Toronto and along with Thierry Henry look to pace New York's attack.

Getting to the match couldn't be any easier, just get on the PATH towards Newark, get off in Harrison and bingo, you're feet from Red Bulls Stadium.

Be there and support the NEW JERSEY side (sorry, somebody had to say it). To get you fired up here's Luke Rogers' firecracker of a goal against Toronto this week:

We'd like to welcome the New Jersey Red Bulls to their new home stadium

And what an impressive locale it is. Johnny took the PATH out to Newark last night for the Devils game but on that train were hundreds of soccer fans very excited to see a game at the new digs. Harrison's stop on the PATH line just got a whole lot more use. It's a beautiful stadium from the outside, sitting right on the Passaic River.

Which again brings us to the point of the names of the these teams. Why is it the New York Red Bulls, along with the New York Jets and New York Giants that when they need a home show up in New Jersey? The Giants and Jets did it long ago and have just done it again. Does the Passaic River run through New York in any way shape or form? The official mailing addresses of the Jets and Giants is in which state?

We here in New Jersey are proud to have these teams here. We're proud so much New Jersey labor went into these stadiums. We're grimacing over the tax abatements New Jersey people sacrifice for all the while the teams insist on being called 'New York'.

Screw that. You watch, when they are done stealing the Atlantic Yards in Brooklyn for the Nets and their new Russian owner, you watch, they'll call them the NY Nets. And the moment they do, even more stridently it would seem, the Jets and Giants and Red Bulls will get the New Jersey name slapped on them more and more. Johnny already refers to the Jets and G-Men as being from New Jersey. Know why?

Because they're from here.