Red Bulls, NYCFC have to shake off rust as MLS playoff battle is finally here

Red Bulls coach Sandro Schwarz and New York City FC coach Nick Cushing don’t expect to have to do much to get their respective squads ready for Saturday’s playoff edition of the Hudson River Derby.Even after both teams have had somewhat lengthy breaks since defeating their first-round opponents in the MLS Cup Playoffs, the two rivals should be ready for an intense showdown at Citi Field.“We got professional players here that if you can’t get yourself up for a semifinal against your rivals with a chance to progress, you’re playing the wrong sport,” Cushing said.The Red Bulls toppled No.3 seed FC Cincinnati in two games of a best-of-three in round one, while NYCFC took down the defending MLS Cup champs, the Columbus Crew, in three games.But the Red Bulls’ quick series win and the international break means that they haven’t played in 20 days, and it will have been a full two weeks since NYCFC had taken the pitch for a competitive match when things kick-off at 5:30 p.m.

Saturday.The pause certainly quelled some of the momentum that both teams had been feeling following their series victories over two favored teams in the east.Cushing called the break “not ideal” when he addressed reporters ahead of the Eastern Conference semifinal, but both coaches tried to use the downtime to their advantage.Cushing utilized the time for his players to get some rest and recovery, while Schwarz used it as a chance to prepare tactically for the upcoming match.There won’t be too many surprises for either side considering how familiar the New York squads are with one another, but City holds the regular-season edge this year having swept the Red Bulls.

Nevertheless, that doesn’t seem to be something players on either side expect to factor into Saturday.“I think when we play against them in playoff, it is going be a different game,” Red Bulls defender Andres Reyes said.“I think we will have a lot of emotion.

This game could be one of the most important for us...