One game in 100 words: D.C. United just looked like a more determined squad than the New York Red Bulls. They captured the opening goal, and from that point on, didn’t allow their opposition to gain much positive energy. Nailing the game-winning score late in the game, D.C. was able to outgun New York during the usual desperation mode past 85-minute mark, cementing their status in the Eastern Conference’s first-place spot, four points ahead of Sporting Kansas City. Meanwhile, top goalscorer Bradley Wright-Phillips, Thierry Henry and the Red Bulls are in sixth place, right behind the playoff cutoff.
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Goals
D.C. United: Silva 57', Johnson 90' + 1'
New York Red Bulls: None.
Three moments that mattered:
42' -- Cahill spins a shot off the iron -- In the 42nd minute, the game was completely undecided. D.C. hadn’t scored just yet, and the Red Bulls had a magnificent chance to come away with the first scoring strike of the match. On the edge of the box, Henry swiveled around to his right and led Tim Cahill into the penalty area with a mediocre pass. The Australian star was able to collect the ball, but slightly off-balance, he couldn’t hit the sort of strike that he wanted. Still, it smacked right off the far post.
57' -- Silva gets the first -- Halftime had finished up, and United threw themselves in front with a goal from Luis Silva. Part miscommunication between Luis Robles and his defense, as well as just wonderful play by D.C., this score arrived when Espindola directed a well-aimed header to Silva, while he sped past Ibrahim Sekagya, who appeared to let Silva break free. Then, the 25-year-old poked the ball through Robles and slotted his attempt into an open net.
90' + 1' -- Johnson ends it -- A great deal of credit for this goal goes to Perry Kitchen, who located Eddie Johnson trying to time his run behind the Red Bulls’ back line. Kitchen’s lobbed ball landed to the former Seattle Sounders man right side, and a quick cut back into the middle allowed the forward just enough space to chip above Robles into the bottom corner of frame. With that, any hopes for a New York comeback were ruined.
LINEUPS
DC United: Hamid; Kemp, Birnbaum, Boswell, Franklin; Rolfe, Kitchen, Arnaud, DeLeon (Caskey 87'); Espindola (Jeffrey 85'), Silva (Johnson 66').
New York Red Bulls: Robles; Miller, Olave, Sekagya (Sene 81'), Duvall (Alexander 63'); Oyongo, Cahill (Luyindula 90'), McCarty, Sam; Henry, Wright-Phillips.