New York football derby: Red Bulls and City fans channel their inner-English hooligan in brawl outside New Jersey bar

Video: The two sides have been fierce rivals since...well, this year

They may call it soccer and are still miles behind in terms of quality, but the Americans are showing they can master the culture of football as good as the English.

New York City Football Club is newly formed and playing in its first Major League Soccer season – yet already the team’s supporters have decided to recreate an intense rivalry with New York Red Bulls.

In scenes akin of Cardiff v Swansea or West Ham v Millwall, shirtless Americans are seen throwing punches, flinging advertising boards and hurling a number of objects as the two sets of fans clash outside a bar in New Jersey ahead of the first match between the two sides.

Learning from a favoured football chant across the pond, the men shout, “Who are ya?” at their rivals.

Rob Harris, a reporter with the Associated Press who filmed the incident, wrote, "In New Jersey and immediately encounter crowd trouble ahead of the New York derby.

"It's a some time since I've had to avoid flying glass bottles at football. Was outside a bar about one mile from Red Bulls Arena - and was all over in a couple of minutes. No running battles through the streets."

In the stadium, the Red Bulls fans taunted City by displaying a huge banner of Frank Lampard and Andre Pirlo holding walking sticks with the phrase, "City retirement home"

New York Red Bulls won the first Big Apple derby, easing to a 2-0 win.