NYCFC hope their Open luck changes

Fourth time’s the charm? After dropping their U.S. Open Cup openers against the New York Cosmos in 2015 and ’16, and getting knocked out by the Red Bulls last year, New York City FC is still searching for their first victory in the tourney. They’ll try to get it at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Red Bull Arena against a rival that’s had their number.

NYCFC is 3-7-1 all time in the Hudson River Derby, and 1-5-1 at Red Bull Arena, where they got knocked out of last year’s Open Cup and thrashed 4-0 last month.

“It’s a derby again. After last time, we don’t need motivation. That’s what we play for. I’d rather play than practice all week long. I’m looking forward to the game and I think the other guys are, too,” midfielder Alex Ring told NYCFC.com.

“In the Cup, it will be a very hard game against Red Bulls. It is a derby, it’s always a special game,” added NYCFC’s Ismael Tajouri-Shradi. “We want to make it better than last time, of course, for us, for the supporters. It will be a really important game and we want to win this game.”

NYCFC coach Patrick Vieira clearly had an eye toward this game, using David Villa for just a 25-minute cameo on Saturday. But the U.S. Open Cup limit of just five internationals will weaken a roster that’s heavy on foreign players and lost Rodney Wallace and Ronald Matarrita, both at the World Cup with Costa Rica.

The Red Bulls lost Kaku, Tyler Adams, Tim Parker, Michael Murillo and backup Felix Escobar to World Cup duty, with captain Luis Robles questionable due to injury and unlikely to start. But they’ve taken the competition seriously under coach Jesse Marsch — reaching last year’s final versus Sporting KC — and will again.

“They are for sure carrying anger from the last competition we had, so I expect them to come out with a good team, to go after this to make a point and we have to expect their absolute best,” said Marsch. “So we’re prepared that way.”