There is a very crucial clash in the Eastern Conference of the MLS when the New York Red Bulls will play host to DC United on Sunday. The Red Bulls were stuck at a draw in the New York Derby against New York City FC, but have been in pretty solid form lately. DC United have been in even better form, as they are fighting their way to reach the playoff spots. This is going to be a fascinating match to watch on Sunday.
The New York Red Bulls (15-6-4) are coming into this match after a really frustrating 1-1 draw on the road against New York City FC. They were dominant in the first half and managed to take the lead at the 37th minute with Wright-Phillips. Their work seemed like a straightforward one when their opponents saw a red card at the 40th minute. Even so, New York City FC managed to pull even at the 52nd minute with Villa. The Red Bulls really tried to score the winning goal, and they also saw their opponents face a second red card at the 73rd minute. But the result didn’t change, as the two teams split the points. The Red Bulls are now sitting at the 2nd spot of the Eastern Conference with 49 points, just two behind Atlanta United. They have been one of the best teams at home so far (9-2-1), where they have conceded only ten goals so far, and six of them were in their last four matches. The Red Bulls will be missing Duncan, Redding, and Valot in this match, while Bezecourt is being listed as questionable.
On the other hand, DC United (7-9-6) have been excellent over the past month or so. They were once sitting at the bottom spot of the Eastern Conference, but they are clawing their way to the playoff spots. They were coming off an excellent 0-2 win at home against New England Revolution last week. They scored a goal in each half, on the way to their third consecutive win. DC United are now undefeated in their previous five (4-0-1), but have only kept a single clean sheet in that span. DC United are currently sitting at the 8th spot of the Eastern Conference with 27 points, six behind the 6th Montreal and the playoff spots. However, they have four matches in hand, so a good run could easily see them challenging even the 4th spot. DC United have not been very good on the road so far (1-8-5), where 13 of their 14 matches have had goals from both sides.