HARRISON, N.J. — Despite a steady, sound defensive performance where D.C. United only allowed a single goal in each match of the two-legged series, the Black-and-Red were eliminated from the playoffs by the New York Red Bulls Sunday afternoon at Red Bull Arena.
Last weekend against the Red Bulls, United became the first MLS team to play a playoff match at home without registering a single shot on goal. Yet they looked similarly stingy on the other side of the ball, holding New York to a single goal, a Dax McCarty game-winner nicked on a set piece, leaving them in decent position for the second leg.
Yet the effort at Red Bull Arena — which did see United carve out a couple of attacking opportunities that could’ve made things more interesting — left D.C. boss Ben Olsen somewhat pleased, if not disappointed in the overall outcome.
"I was encouraged for most of the game,” said Olsen. "They did everything I asked them to. We fell a little short with the difficult part, that was to score the goal. But again, to a man, I thought everyone had good performances and gave us everything and went out in the right way.
"I didn’t think we created enough in the first game. But I think this game here – again it’s just a matter of a little bit of quality in the final third, making the play that matters, whether it’s on set piece a few times, or maybe it’s not shooting – maybe it’s giving the extra pass. But again, overall, that’s as good as we’ve played here. I thought it was a good night, we just fell short with the goal."
United were shorthanded and missing a couple of key pieces: winger Chris Pontius and fullback Sean Franklin. In Pontius’ place, Chris Rolfe shifted out wide from his role up top, making way for Álvaro Saborío, as has been the case in several recent matches. Olsen shifted second-year center back Steve Birnbaum to right back to fill in for Franklin.
“They defended well — we did for almost the entire game except the last 10 minutes, and by then it was too late,” said Fabian Espíndola.
- BOX SCORE: Red Bulls vs D.C. United
The late goal from Bradley Wright-Phillips dashed United’s hopes, and for the second year in a row, sent United home at the hands of the rival Red Bulls. Olsen, Rolfe and others in D.C.’s locker room seemed unbothered by the opponent that had knocked them out. To them, only one thing mattered: that they’d been eliminated.
Not the case for Espíndola, who’d previously expressed his desire to face the Red Bulls, only two years removed from a one-year stint with the team. When asked whether a loss to New York was any tougher to swallow than any other opponent, the Argentine didn’t hesitate with his answer:
“Yeah. Of course."
