One of Major League Soccer’s most storied rivalries enters its 20th season on Sunday when New York Red Bulls host D.C. United in the 2015 home opener at Red Bull Arena.
As New York prepares for Sunday, we look back at the results of the last five meetings between the rivals. The Red Bulls were 2-3-0, but prevailed in the Eastern Conference Semifinals to eliminate D.C. United from the playoffs at RFK Stadium for the first time in club history.
Here are highlights and recaps of all five matches vs. D.C. United in 2014.
April 12 – D.C. United 1, New York Red Bulls 0
The first meeting at RFK Stadium was decided early by D.C. United. In the 4th minute, a corner kick sent in by Fabian Espindola was flicked on by Bobby Boswell to Davy Arnaud who headed in the goal at the far post.
New York would get their chances to equalize. In the 54th minute, Kosuke Kimura swung in a cross to Thierry Henry who uncharacteristically pushed his open header over the bar from just outside the six-yard box. Perhaps RBNY’s best chance came from Peguy Luyindula in the 73rd minute when he struck a bullet towards the near post, but it bounced off the frame and out of play. New York had 19 shots, but none were able to find the back of the net. D.C. would go on to win 1-0.
August 31 – D.C. United 2, New York Red Bulls 0
The New York Red Bulls returned to RFK Stadium looking to avenge their prior defeat, while D.C. was trying to continue their positive form and remain in first place. New York nearly went ahead in the 31st minute when Chris Duvall’s cross found Bradley Wright-Phillips at the top of the six-yard box, but his header was saved by Bill Hamid.
The Red Bulls would again get their chance to take the lead when Tim Cahill found space inside the penalty area, but his low rolling shot to the far post would bounce off the woodwork and be cleared by D.C. The home side took the lead in the 57th minute when Luis Silva ran past the Red Bulls defense, poked the ball past a charging Luis Robles, and slotted away his goal. Eddie Johnson put away the game with a 91st minute goal and D.C. United claimed their second Atlantic Cup victory of the season, 2-0.
September 10 – New York Red Bulls 1, D.C. United 0
Red Bull Arena played host for the third and final regular season meeting between RBNY and D.C. United. In the 32nd minute, Fabian Espindola, in his first game back at Red Bull Arena, received a red card from official Mark Geiger for a challenge on Dax McCarty.
Afterwards, tempers flared between the rivals when things got heated between Roy Miller, Sean Franklin, and Davy Arnaud, resulting in a yellow card for Roy Miller. New York created numerous chances to take the lead, but Lloyd Sam was the hero when he tucked away a 90th minute goal to win the game 1-0 in dramatic fashion.
MLS Cup Playoffs: Eastern Conference Semifinals, November 2 – New York Red Bulls 2, D.C. United 0
Red Bull Arena hosted the first leg of the Conference Semifinals and fourth meeting between the clubs. D.C. United created the first chance of the game when Nick DeLeon sent in a dangerous cross to Fabian Espindola, but the striker didn’t appear ready and the ball deflected off of him, safely into the hands of Luis Robles. The Red Bulls then created many chances of their own, and eventually capitalized in the 40th minute when Thierry Henry’s backheel found a wide-open Bradley Wright-Phillips who scored to give the Red Bulls a 1-0 lead.
New York would double their lead in the 73rd minute on a long ball from Thierry Henry which found an onside Peguy Luyindula. The Frenchman displayed an excellent first touch to control the ball and nutmegged D.C. goalkeeper Bill Hamid to make it 2-0. The Red Bulls had more chances in the following five minutes, but a deflected shot from Wright-Phillips followed by a clean header by Dax McCarty missed the net by less than a yard. The match ended as a 2-0 Red Bull victory with one remaining leg to play at RFK Stadium.
MLS Cup Playoffs: Eastern Conference Semifinals, November 8 – New York Red Bulls 1, D.C. United 2
With a 2-0 advantage, the Red Bulls looked to close out the series and clinch an Eastern Conference Finals berth. If New York scored just one goal in the second-leg, D.C. would have to score at least four goals in order to advance, per the away goals rule. In the 37th minute, D.C. applied pressure early when a Taylor Kemp cross found the head of Nick DeLeon at the edge of the six-yard box for the opening goal. The teams went back and forth trading chances the remainder of the first half, none better than Bradley Wright-Phillips’ one-on-one chance denied by Bill Hamid.
Fabian Espindola was one-yard way from tying the series at 2-2 in the 54th minute when his diving header went just wide of the post, but Peguy Luyindula would put an end to Red Bulls fans’ anxiety level three minutes later. Thierry Henry spotted his fellow Frenchman making a near-post run and placed a low cross on Luyindula’s right foot to make it 3-1 Red Bulls on aggregate. As the end of the game approached, D.C. became more desperate for a goal and Roy Miller picked up a red card in the 78th minute. D.C. poured numbers forward and scored in the 91st minute to clinch the victory, but when the final whistle blew, it was the Red Bulls moving onto the Eastern Conference Finals, 3-2 on aggregate.
The New York Red Bulls return to action on Sunday, March 22, when the sixth season of soccer at Red Bull Arena opens against rival D.C. United. Click here to purchase tickets.
