New York derby: Preview and how to watch

There really isn't too much talking up necessary for tonight's New York derby. The New York Cosmos will face an MLS side for the first time in their storied history, and the opponent will be the cross-town (while still out of state) New York Red Bulls.

The Red Bulls will be a bit shorthanded for tonight's game, with Tim Cahill off at the World Cup, while Thierry Henry and Jameson Olave don't play on artificial surfaces. The club still has a formidable roster though, and should still provide a stern test for the Cosmos, who have several players dealing with injuries of their own.

It's hard to predict how Mike Petke will send out the Red Bulls, as with a relatively packed MLS schedule and the roster constraints that he's dealing with, he might be tempted to give some of his regular starters a rest. That decision could be a difficult one to justify though, given that this matchup will make headlines, whatever the result.

Gio Savarese won't be trotting out a weakened lineup based on anything other than injury, as the NASL has an extended break during the World Cup. If Marcos Senna and Roversio are good to go, the Cosmos will likely run out their strongest possible squad. If not, we'll likely see Joseph Nane and Jimmy Ockford continuing to deputize. DIomar Diaz is also questionable, while Hans Denissen will be fit enough to be on the Cosmos bench.

Shuart Stadium is expected to be packed tonight when the game kicks off, but if you happen to arrive early, they'll be showing England vs. Italy in the beer garden ahead of kickoff. If you can't make it out to Hofstra though, the game will be streamed live for a national audience via Ussoccer.com, and can also be seen on television if you have access to ONE World Sports.