Courtesy: Getty

There's no Roger Torres, and they won't be battling for first place ... but that doesn't mean this year's initial meeting of the Union and New York can't be entertaining.

Don't believe me? Take John Hackworth's word for it.

“I don't think they like us and I don't think we like them. What more do you need?" the Union assistant coach said the other day. "They're close to us (geographically). They're ahead of us in the table. We're obviously very hungry to get a result Sunday."

Riding a two-game skid, the Union (2-5-1) need a win over the Red Bulls (6-3-1), who are on a three-match winning streak. A win last April against NYRB, with the help of a second-half tally from late sub Torres (above), helped keep the Union in first place well into June.

Even though Torres is out, still nursing his ACL/MCL woes, the Union are optimistic they can net a win. And the Red Bulls know it. Here's what a few guys had to say to Big Apple Soccer:

"They're going to be tough," said NYRB's Dax McCarty.

"I'm expecting a tough, hard game," teammate Juan Agudelo said. "It's always tough going to Philly."

So while it might not be the marquee game everyone's expecting, Sunday's matchup at PPL Park, a 12:30 kickoff, will be worth watching.