MLS Announces 20th Franchise, New York City FC

Pour one out for New York Red Bulls fans.

They are stuck in New Jersey with a new stadium, are struggling with attendance, and now have to deal with a new crosstown rival, New York City FC, firmly planted in New York City beginning play in 2015 with Flushing Meadows in Queens as the expected location for the new stadium.

Oh, and by the way, NYCFC are owned by Manchester City and the New York Yankees. Suffice to say, the Red Bulls are now the undisputed good guys in the New York area, or Orlando, or wherever they are playing in 2020.

Some members of the Sons of Ben may disagree, but the "rivalry" with New York Red Bulls has always appeared more Sons of Ben manufactured to drum up interest in the team than anything actually authentic.* Over time, D.C. United has become the more natural rival to the Union (and given the fact they have a history pre-dating the Union, also NYRB). But with the addition of an MLS team owned by the New York Yankees, it is certainly safe to say NYCFC should become a more natural, prominent New York rival to the Philadelphia Union.

*Seriously, people. New York Pink Cows. It's not even creative.

In basketball terms, NYCFC have become the Knicks, and New York Red Bulls are the pre-Brooklyn era New Jersey Nets. Attendance figures will soon reflect this.

While this should certainly make some things very interesting in MLS, do spare a thought for the New York Red Bulls and pour one out for New York Red Bulls fans. Place in the standings aside, things are about to be very not fun for them.