There is never a calm match between D.C. United and rivals the New York Red Bulls, and Sunday was no exception. The 3-3 draw featured drama, physicality, world-class goals, and two scores within the final minutes of the match. But despite not earning all three points, United’s draw against one of the leading teams in the Eastern Conference gave them a confidence boost in their race for the playoffs.
Following Sunday’s match against New York, D.C. still occupied the No. 7 spot in the Eastern Conference standings, putting them just outside of the playoff window. While there's still work to be done, the team is confident in their ability to finish out the regular season strong and take one of those remaining playoff spots in the East.
“I think we’re in a good position right now. I think the progress has been good. I think the way that we’re playing has been good,” goalkeeper Bill Hamid said after the match. “We’re in a good position right now. We just have to keep moving forward, keep the positivity, keep the right mentality in training, and we can do this.”
“I don’t think you ever feel comfortable being under the playoff line. I don’t think you feel comfortable over the playoff line,” Head Coach Ben Olsen said. “I’m not comfortable. Our team is not comfortable. But we are confident in our team and our ability to get into the postseason if we play like we did tonight.”
The road to a playoff spot has not been easy, as D.C. United have faced some of the best teams in the East in recent weeks, including the Red Bulls, Atlanta, and New York City FC. In those three matches, they have scored seven goals and earned five points—promising results overall for such staunch opponents.
“We've played the three best teams in the league,” Wayne Rooney said following the draw against the Red Bulls, “and we’ve shown a bit of quality against them.”
Olsen had similar thoughts on the result. “If that’s the second best team in the East, I like our chances if we get into the playoffs.”
Throughout the second half of the season, the Black-and-Red have shown they can be competitive with the best teams in the league. But in order to show what they can do in the postseason, they must first secure a playoff spot over the course of their final six matches. They're not there yet, but with a number of crucial matches coming up, the players feel confident that they can get the job done when it matters most.
“It’s a tight race,” Russell Canouse said, “but I think guys know that it’s possible. We can do it.”
