New York’s Soccer Clubs Meet in a Playoff, and the Loathing Is Mutual

It does not produce the passions stirred by Barcelona versus Madrid. It does not make New York stop dead like Buenos Aires does when River Plate plays Boca Juniors. It does not even match the historical enmity of Islanders-Rangers hockey at Madison Square Garden.

But the New York City Football Club and the New York Red Bulls will meet in a playoff match for the first time on Saturday, and their fans — and Major League Soccer — can dream. The two small but growing fan bases vehemently dislike one another, or at least enjoy playing the role of enemies. The question is whether the energy generated by what they call the Hudson River derby will one day captivate a metro area that absorbs even Super Bowls with ease.

“For only a decade-long rivalry, it’s had some great moments, which have accelerated the fire,” said Marc de Grandpré, the president and general manager of the Red Bulls. “In due time this will be considered one of the great rivalries in the metro New York area. But it needs time.”

The stakes will be higher than ever on Saturday, when every goal, sliding tackle and disputed call will play a part in transforming a niche rivalry into a full-scale, interstate soccer feud. The winner of the quarterfinal match will play either Orlando or Atlanta in the Eastern Conference championship and then perhaps reach the M.L.S. Cup on Dec. 7.

M.L.S. is still considered a second-rate league compared to many leagues around the world, and some snobby American footie fans would prefer to watch Grimsby Town play Stoke in England than the M.L.S. championship game. But both of New York’s teams — like those all over the world — can produce heated emotions.

Dylan Nealis, a Red Bulls defender, said supporters of his Harrison, N.J.-based team have worked up a genuine loathing for upstart N.Y.C.F.C., which will play most of its games in Yankee Stadium until its soccer-specific venue opens in Queens in 2027.