Atlantic Cup (Major League Soccer)
| Other names | I-95 Derby |
|---|---|
| Locale | Mid-Atlantic |
| Teams | D.C. United vs. New York Red Bulls |
| First meeting | May 12, 1996 (DC 1–2 NY) |
| Latest meeting | Apr. 15, 2017(NY 2–0 DC) |
| Statistics | |
| Meetings total | 88 |
| Most wins | D.C. United (43 wins) |
| All-time series | 43–31–14 (D.C.) |
| Regular season series | MLS: 34–26–12 (D.C.) Open Cup: 2–1–0 (D.C.) |
| Postseason results | 7–4–2 (D.C.) |
| Largest victory | NY 0–5 DC (Sept 16, 1998) |
The Atlantic Cup is both the name of the rivalry, as well as the trophy awarded to the winner of the regular season series between Major League Soccer rivals D.C. United, and the New York Red Bulls. Presently, the series occurs three times a year, with either United hosting two matches and playing at the Red Bulls once, or vice versa.
Inaugurated in 2002, the Atlantic Cup has become one of the most bitter rivalries in Major League Soccer and in American soccer. The origins of the rivalry are unknown, but some claim that it developed due to the cities' relative proximity to each other, and the frequency with which the two clubs play one another in league, playoff, and Open Cup play. For United, the Red Bulls are the only opponent they have competed against in more than five occasions in both the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and the MLS Cup Playoffs.
Traditionally, the rivalry has been in favor of D.C. United, in terms of silverware collected and matches won. Over both clubs' histories, United has won a dozen major titles, while New York was the last original MLS franchise to win its first major title (in 2013). However, while the Atlantic Cup was dominated by D.C. United during a majority of the 2000s, New York won every series from 2010-12. The two sides have met 87 times across all competitions, 71 of them being in MLS regular season play, 13 in MLS Cup playoff play, and 3 in U.S. Open Cup play.
D.C. United are the current titleholders of the Atlantic Cup. The first match of the 2016 season was a 2-0 United victory and was followed by a pair of 2-2 draws, giving United the title for the 2016 season.
The two teams first met on May 12, 1996; when the New York Red Bulls were branded as the New York/New Jersey MetroStars. The game was played at RFK Stadium in front of a crowd of 14,722, and ended 1–1 in regulation time. In regulation time, United's John Harkes scored United's first ever goal against the MetroStars off an assist from Tony Sanneh in the 11th minute. The MetroStars' Giovanni Savarese drew the match level in the 62nd minute. At the time, if Major League Soccer ended drawn at the end of regulation time, it entered the 35-yard shootout. In the shootout, the MetroStars won the first match of the series 2–1.
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