Red Bulls home to follow up 'complete performance' when they take on DCU (Jul 23, 2018)
The New York Red Bulls will look to continue their momentum after what their coach called one of their most complete performances when they visit a rival D.C. United squad desperate for points on Wednesday night.
The Red Bulls (12-5-2, 38 points) snagged an impressive 2-0 victory over the New England Revolution last weekend, holding the visitors to one shot on goal. The win marked New York's fifth in six games and ninth in their last 13, as well as the second since Chris Armas assumed coaching duties from Jesse Marsch three matches ago.
"I would say that this last game was our best performance in terms of 90 minutes of individual and team defense," said Armas, who stepped in after Marsch was hired as an assistant at German club RB Leipzig. "You could see that there was so much of what we want to see that looks like a Red Bull team, stepping to plays, counter pressing, compressing spaces. There was a real pride in the shutout."
Daniel Royer opened the scoring for New York. Bradley Wright-Phillips added his 13th goal of the season for the Red Bulls, who begin the week as one of three MLS teams with a league-best two points per match so far.
Meanwhile, D.C. United (3-8-5, 14 points) have averaged less than a point per game, but they still hold a puncher's chance at qualifying for the playoffs in part because of their backloaded, home-heavy schedule.
The club played 12 of its first 14 matches on the road before opening new stadium Audi Field -- and debuting star striker Wayne Rooney -- with a 3-1 win over Vancouver on July 14.
But in Rooney's first start last Saturday, D.C. gave back an early lead in a 3-1 loss at Eastern Conference leaders Atlanta United, a score that coach Ben Olsen didn't quite believe reflected the balance of play.
"I thought in the first half we went toe-to-toe with them," Olsen said afterward. "(We) still can do a better job of valuing possession. On the defensive end, I think we didn't make enough plays. When you get a goal, you better do a better job of locking up the 18-yard box, and today I think we shot ourselves in the foot on two of their goals."
Last-place D.C. enters the week 14 points beneath the playoff line but have played 3-6 fewer matches than all six teams that currently sit above that line. United are winless in their last five against the Red Bulls, including a 2-1 loss last October in the final match played at D.C.'s RFK Stadium.
