New York City FC-Red Bulls Preview

Two months into its existence, New York City FC wishes it had been better acclimated to MLS prior to reaching the date many probably circled as the biggest of the club's opening 10 matches.

Instead, NYCFC has a three-match losing streak complicating its first trip to Red Bull Arena on Sunday night, where its rival-to-be is hoping to avoid a losing skid of its own.

The New York Red Bulls (3-1-4) saw a season-opening seven-match unbeaten streak come to an end in a 2-1 loss at New England last Saturday. They now shift their attention to the first New York derby with their neighbors from across the Hudson River.

"We are coming off our first loss of the season, and that's a big point that we tried to make within the team is that we want to react very well when we come off of losses," said midfielder Sacha Kljestan, who scored against the Revolution. "So this is a game to take three points hopefully and get back on the right foot."

The Red Bulls are the only MLS team yet to be shut out, and that streak extends an additional nine matches into last season.

NYCFC (1-5-3), meanwhile, has been shut out in four of nine matches, though three of those clean sheets have come with David Villa sidelined.

Villa returned in a substitute role for last Sunday's 3-1 home loss to Seattle after missing two matches with a hip injury. The Spanish superstar, who has scored twice in five starts, is expected to play a full 90 minutes against the Red Bulls.

After a promising first two matches in which NYCFC earned a draw in Orlando and beat the Revolution at Yankee Stadium, the club is 0-5-2 with three goals scored. Coach Jason Kreis' team was blanked in back-to-back losses before falling 3-1 to Seattle last Sunday.

"Speaking with a lot of the guys, they're confident with what they're doing and the direction they're headed in, as am I," Kreis told the club's official website. "We've said all along this is a process and it's going to take some time. It's probably taken a little longer than I expected, but it doesn't change the feelings all of us had coming into this knowing it wouldn't be a perfect situation right out of the gate."

Improving at Red Bull Arena seems unlikely. The Red Bulls are 13-2-5 in their last 20 home matches in all competitions with a 39-19 scoring advantage. Much of that offense has come from Bradley Wright-Phillips, who has 17 goals in 18 home appearances in that time, though things have been more balanced this season with 12 goals coming from six different players.

After matching a single-season league record with 27 goals in 2014, Wright-Phillips has three this season to tie Lloyd Sam for the team lead. Kljestan and Mike Grella have scored twice.

NYCFC defender Jason Hernandez, selected by the then-MetroStars in the 2005 draft, is familiar with plenty of the Red Bulls' players and understands why they consistently find the back of the net.

"Wright-Phillips had a tremendous year last year and he'll be one to watch, not just as a back four, but the team as a whole defending as a unit," Hernandez said. "Sacha is someone I know really well from my college days (as teammates at Seton Hall) and professional days.

"They have an eye for goals and they're pretty dynamic so it's going to be on us to be connected and play with a sense of urgency and attention for 90 minutes."