MATCH INFORMATION
- New York Red Bulls vs D.C. United
- Red Bull Arena, Harrison, New Jersey
- Tickets
- March 22, 2015 5 p.m. ET (WEEK 3, MLS Game #25)
- ESPN2| ESPN Deportes| WatchESPN
- #NYvDC
SETTING THE SCENE
One of Major League Soccer's longest running Eastern Conference rivalries heats up again this weekend as the New York Red Bulls host D.C. United at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J. at 5 p.m. ET this Sunday. The match will be broadcast live on ESPN2, ESPN Deportes and WatchESPN.
Despite losing the regular season series, New York earned the first playoff series win over D.C. in franchise history, taking the home-and-home series on the strength of a 2-0 win at RBA and an all-important away goal in the second leg at RFK, taking the series 3-2 on aggregate.
Home field advantage proved vital in 2014 as the home team won all five meetings. Both squads are coming off a week of rest with D.C. winning their first match 1-0 at home against Montreal and New York drawing at Kansas City, 1-1.
LAST FIVE MEETINGS (2-3-0)
- 4/12/14: LOSS D.C. 1-0 NYRB @RFK Stadium (MLS Regular Season)
- 8/31/14: LOSS D.C 2-0 NYRB @ RFK Stadium (MLS Regular Season)
- 9/10/14: WIN NYRB 1-0 D.C. @ Red Bull Arena (MLS Regular Season)
- 11/2/14: WIN NYRB 2-0 D.C. @ Red Bull Arena (MLS Playoff Conference Semifinal First Leg)
- 11/8/14: LOSS* D.C. 2-1 NYRB @ RFK Stadium (MLS Playoff Conference Semifinal Second Leg)
*Red Bulls advanced to conference final on aggregate
NEW YORK RED BULLS
The New York Red Bulls have had plenty of time to think about their opening week match against Sporting Kansas City which saw them draw 1-1 against ten men. The Red Bulls tally came on a Lloyd Sam curling strike in the 54th minute, just minutes after KC got on the board with an Ike Opara header. The Red Bulls created more chances in the second half with Kansas City defender Matt Besler being sent off for a second yellow card in the 70th minute, but could not convert another goal.
French defender Ronald Zubar was replaced by U.S. U-20 Men's National Team member Matt Miazga in the second half after Zubar picked up a hamstring injury. Zubar is questionable for Sunday's fixture while his counterpart, defender Roy Miller, picked up a knee sprain in training and will miss the match at the weekend. New York signed preseason trialist and Jamaican international defender Kemar Lawrence from Harbour View F.C. earlier this week as a likely replacement for Miller in the squad.
Injury Report:
- OUT: D Roy Miller (knee sprain)
- QUESTIONABLE D Ronald Zubar (hamstring)
- DAY-TO-DAY: F Mike Grella (hamstring)
D.C. UNITED
D.C. United won three of five matches against the Red Bulls last season, however, this contest will not be easy for D.C. as they will be without their top three scorers from a season ago. Fabian Espindola and Luis Silva both led the club with 11 goals in 2014, but Espindola will miss his second of six games to start the season due to a suspension from MLS. Silva will also be out due to a nagging right hamstring injury and forward Eddie Johnson will be unavailable for the second straight match. Markus Halsti and Michael Seaton have also been ruled out of Sunday's match, while defender Taylor Kemp is listed as questionable with a groin injury.
D.C. United was able to take all three points from their opening week match against the Impact, with both teams playing on short rest after their CONCACAF Champions League matches earlier in the week. A 59th minute strike from Costa Rican forward Jairo Arrieta proved to be the difference on a frigid day in Washington, which saw over a half a foot of snow on the ground the day before.
D.C. will certainly have revenge on their mind as the Red Bulls eliminated them from the playoffs in a crushing 3-2 aggregate defeat in 2014.
Injury Report:
- OUT: M/D Markus Halsti (left knee injury)
- OUT: M Luis Silva (right hamstring injury)
- OUT: F Eddie Johnson (heart condition)
- OUT: F Michael Seaton (left knee surgery 1/22, out 6-8 weeks)
- QUESTIONABLE: D Taylor Kemp (groin)
FIGHTING WORDS
"I don't care how early it is, whenever [D.C.] is ahead of us in the standings, that always pisses me off." - Dax McCarty
“There’s a lot of bitterness toward the way we finished last year. It won’t rectify it, but it will help it feel better if we come out there and spoil their home opener." - Nick DeLeon
