A rivalry in the Eastern Conference will again unfold Sunday as the New York Red Bulls host D.C. United at the Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey.
The Red Bulls are trying to bounce back following a 3–2 loss to the Chicago Fire that ended a six-match unbeaten streak which included victories over New England Revolution (4–1), Orlando City SC (2–0), Philadelphia Union (3–1), New York City FC (2–0), and Toronto FC (3–0), with the lone draw coming against the Montreal Impact (1–1).
Red Bulls are sitting comfortably on the third spot in the East currently with 39 points (11–7–6), five points behind conference-leading D.C. United and 10 points ahead the final playoff spot which, as of the moment, is being held by Orlando City (29 points).
A victory over their rivals will be a huge morale booster for Red Bulls and more importantly will place them in the second spot in the East, which currently belongs to Columbus Crew SC (41 points).
D.C. United, on the other hand, would like to snap a two-match losing slide and increase their lead to solidify their claim of the top spot in the Eastern Conference.
United's past two matches saw the club lose 3–1 to New York City FC (NYC FC) and 2–0 against the San Jose Earthquakes.
Those are tough losses considering that NYC FC (28 points, 7–13–7) and San Jose (38 points, 11–10–5) are battling for a playoff spot in their respective conferences.
The recent setbacks led D.C. United to a 13–9–5 record with 44 points, which is still enough for now to lead the East.
This will be the third time in Major League Soccer (MLS) this season that the rivals will face one another.
Red Bulls won their first league match 2–0 last March and their second match the following month ended in a 2–2 draw.
Winning the third match will not just give United their first win over their rivals this season; it will also catapult the club past the defending MLS champions LA Galaxy (46 points) and Vancouver Whitecaps FC (45 points) to the top spot of the Supporters' Shield standings.
The rivalry between the New York Red Bulls and D.C. United will continue today, Aug. 30, at 7 p.m. EST. To watch via live stream, click here.
