A push to the playoffs was never going to be easy, and at this point in United’s season, few things will be. With that in mind, the Black-and-Red left New Jersey without any points after a 1-0 defeat, but did find reason to continue their growth in confidence as another tough stretch of matches begins.
“We don’t have a lot of time to dwell on this. We need to focus on recovering and preparing for Wednesday,” United head coach Ben Olsen said after the defeat. “Overall, it was still a game where we had a few chances to get something out of it. They made the play that mattered but it was back-and-forth. I’m proud of the effort and we’ll get back to it quickly against Philadelphia midweek.”
Though United could not find an equalizer against the Red Bulls, it was not for lack of trying, as the Black-and-Red actually carried the play for long stretches of the match, a far cry from previous matchups against their Atlantic Cup rival.
Defender Oniel Fisher, who has seen his confidence soar recently, came within inches of tying the game on a header, while United captain Wayne Rooney hit the woodwork in the second half.
Against a team like the Red Bulls, who thrive on their high-pressing style, especially at home, Olsen was encouraged to see the team maintain possession and push the advantage against a team that usually is the aggressor.
“That’s what they do... they wear you down,” Olsen said. “It was a good exercise in trying to stay at a high level of focus and intensity.”
United held 52.6% of the possession against the Red Bulls, and fired 14 shots, including two from Rooney.
“I think we knew the way Red Bulls wanted to play, we kept them quiet for a little bit. We created some good chances, didn’t take them,” Rooney said. “They’re second in the league and we’ve come here and gave them a good game, we’ve created chances... probably created the best chances of the 90 minutes."
Rooney’s opportunity was a key point in the match. In the 65th minute Luciano Acosta drove into the penalty area drawing two defenders to him. Acosta sent a creative flip to Fisher who’s attempted shot was blocked. The ball bounced off the defender, though, and found its way to Rooney, who had drifted to the right to give himself a clear angle on goal where he fired just high.
“I should’ve scored it,” Rooney said. “I think I did a bit too much, obviously got too much height on it.”
It was a night full of bad luck for United, who played well enough to earn at least a point against a Red Bulls team that is among the class of the Eastern Conference. Putting the negative result aside, United saw it as another sign of progress during their second half run.
"All I can say is obviously we’re confident in what we’re doing,” midfielder Paul Arriola said. “It was just a matter of getting our legs back, taking care of our bodies so we can be ready to go.”
The quick turnaround for Wednesday night’s match against the fifth-place Philadelphia Union may play into United’s hands, as it will allow them not to dwell on their three-game winning streaking being snapped, and instead focus on continuing their excellent play at Audi Field.
“We know we can play a midweek game–no problem–especially at home with our fans who provide a good energy for us,” Arriola said. “Philly’s obviously coming in hot with their winning streak, but for us it’s extremely important to get three points against a team we’re chasing.”
The Black-and-Red still sit just six points below the playoff line with multiple games in hand over their opponents, but the team knows they can not afford to take things lightly. A successful playoff push will likely hinge on the Black-and-Red’s ability to make the most out of their remaining home games against a tough slate of opponents.
They know every point matters now.
“In the end it could be a deciding factor for us whether we make the playoffs or not,” Arriola said.
