Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET
Venue: Sports Illustrated Stadium (formerly Red Bull Arena), Harrison, New Jersey
Broadcast: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV
This is the first-ever competitive meeting between the New York Red Bulls and expansion side San Diego FC. Both teams sit on the fringes of the playoff picture in their respective conferences, making this a key points opportunity late in the regular season.
Current Records & Standings
New York Red Bulls: 9W-6D-12L, ~34 GF, ~51 GA, GD -17, 33 points (typically 8th in East). Inconsistent but capable of results at home.
San Diego FC: 8W-8D-11L (or close variants), ~47 GF, ~47 GA, GD 0, 32 points (typically 12th in West). Competitive in scoring but defensive issues have limited their climb.
Weather Forecast
Harrison/New Jersey weather for Saturday is expected to be pleasant: mostly sunny to partly sunny skies, highs around 66–69°F (19–21°C), lows in the low-to-mid 50s°F, light winds (calm to ~5 mph from the south/southeast later), and little to no precipitation chance. Comfortable conditions for an evening match.
Injury & Availability Reports
New York Red Bulls: Several players have been away on international duty (including top scorer Julian Hall in some earlier reports), with others questionable or out such as Justin Che (ankle), Cameron Harper (hamstring), and Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty (hamstring). Core options like Emil Forsberg, Jorge Ruvalcaba, and Ethan Horvath are expected available in most previews.
San Diego FC: Generally cleaner availability. Gabriel Pirani has been noted as injured in some reports; otherwise the squad (including Marcus Ingvartsen and Anders Dreyer) appears largely intact.
Predicted lineups
New York Red Bulls (4-3-3): Horvath; Padelford/Bazan/Parker/Nealis; Forsberg/Kone/Sofo; Cowell/Choupo-Moting/Ruvalcaba (or Hall if available).
San Diego FC (3-4-3): Ferree; Murphy/Pilcher/Duah; Sargeant/Godoy/Tverskov/Verhoeven; Vazquez/Ingvartsen/Dreyer.
Key Player Matchups
Julian Hall / Jorge Ruvalcaba / Emil Forsberg for New York vs. San Diego’s back line: Hall (young scoring sensation with ~10 goals) and Forsberg’s creativity are central. Containing their link-up will be key for the visitors.
Marcus Ingvartsen (~12 goals) & Anders Dreyer (high chance creation) for San Diego vs. Red Bulls defense: San Diego’s attacking duo provides the main threat on the counter or through possession.
Midfield battle: Forsberg/Sofo (NY) vs. Godoy/Tverskov (SD). Control here will dictate tempo in what is expected to be a competitive, transitional game.
Set pieces and transitions favor the side that wins second balls, with both teams capable of clinical finishing.
Recent Team Forms
New York Red Bulls: Mixed but with positive results mixed in — recent results include a 0-3 home loss to St. Louis City, wins over NYCFC and Columbus Crew, and other draws/losses. Form roughly D-L-W-W-L. Home form has been a relative strength.
San Diego FC: Drawing-heavy of late — 3-3 draw at Austin, 2-2 draw at Inter Miami, losses to Philadelphia and San Jose, and other mixed results. Form roughly D-D-L-L-L or similar. Capable of high-scoring games but struggle for consistency on the road.
Series History (H2H)
This is the first competitive meeting between the clubs (San Diego FC is a relatively new MLS side). A preseason/friendly encounter in early 2025 saw San Diego win 6-0, but that holds little predictive value for regular-season play. Fresh slate with no established patterns.
Betting Trends
Totals: Commonly 3 or 3.5 (Over competitive given both teams’ scoring rates).
Home advantage for New York is factored in, but San Diego’s attack and the even records keep the market tight. Cross-conference games can produce variance.
MATCH ODDS
San Diego FC + 152
New York Red Bulls + 159
Draw + 297
Over 3.5 – 115 Under 3.5 – 109
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Friday, October 9, 2026
