This Sunday, D.C. United will play their final road match of the season against the New York Red Bulls. While the Black-and-Red have already clinched a playoff spot, they are still battling for a higher spot in the standings and home-field advantage in Round 1 of the playoffs. As we approach the final weeks of the season, there is still a lot to play for. Here is everything you need to know about D.C. United’s next opponent.
Recent Matches
The New York Red Bulls are currently the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference, with 47 points in 32 games. The Red Bulls are 2-3-0 in their last five matches and have already clinched a spot in the MLS Cup playoffs. But like D.C. United, New York has more left to fight for-- including home-field advantage in Round 1 of the playoffs.
The Red Bulls most recent match was a 2-0 win over the Philadelphia Union, the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. Tom Barlow opened scoring for New York in the 30th minute, and Daniel Royer sealed the win with another goal in stoppage time. Although the Union dominated possession, the Red Bulls were able to create many more concrete chances and ultimately walked away with a victory.
Players to Watch
Daniel Royer is the offensive leader for the New York Red Bulls. The Austrian midfielder has 11 goals and 8 assists this season, including 2 game-winning goals and 4 game-winning assists. He scored the second goal against the Philadelphia Union, and has two goals and an assist in the team’s last five matches. Other notable attacking players include Brian White, who has nine goals and two assists this season, and Kaku, who has five goals and six assists.
MLS veteran Luis Robles is the starting goalkeeper for the New York Red Bulls. Robles has 87 saves and 8 shutouts this season, including two shutouts in his last two games. The Red Bulls also have Aaron Long and Tim Parker on their backline; they are two of the better defenders in MLS.
Head-to-Head
On August 21st, D.C. United hosted the New York Red Bulls at Audi Field. The Red Bulls started scoring early, with a 6th minute goal from Kaku. The match got even worse for the Black-and-Red when Wayne Rooney earned a straight red card in the 24th minute. D.C. United went down to ten men, but about 20 minutes later, New York went down to ten men as well after Amro Tarek got his second yellow card of the night.
Ola Kamara scored the equalizer for D.C. United at the start of the second half, breathing new life into the home team. But less than five minutes later, the Red Bulls were awarded a penalty kick and Daniel Royer slotted it home. The Black-and-Red fought for the equalizer for the next thirty minutes, but it didn’t come. The final score was 2-1.
D.C. United and the New York Red Bulls have a storied rivalry going back to the earliest days of MLS. But the Black-and-Red have not beaten the Red Bulls in their last five matches dating back to 2017. The match against the Red Bulls kicks off on Sunday, September 29th at 5 PM ET.
