Sunday's match at Red Bull Arena began with a memorial ceremony for the 15th anniversary of 9/11. It ended in a wild 2-2 draw after United clawed back to tie the match five minutes into second-half stoppage time.
New York's Gonzalo Veron opened the scoring with a brave header on the goal line following a penetrating run from Sacha Kljestan and Bradley Wright-Phillips added his MLS-leading 18th goal of the season in the second half.
But, with every match gaining in importance and the added pressure of the last Atlantic Cup match of 2016, the Black-and-Red showed impressive fight. Goalkeeper Bill Hamid was named the man of the match, making five crucial saves and keeping United in the match on numerous occasions.
First, Steve Birnbaum pulled a goal back in the 89th minute, slotting home in the 18-yard box. Then, Lamar Neagle put the finishing touch on the comeback late in stoppage time by bundling the ball in following a Julian Büscher corner kick. With the draw, D.C. United are now one point below the red line, trailing Orlando City and tied with New England.
The draw marks the latest game-tying goal scored by United this year and clinched the Atlantic Cup for the first time since 2014.
