D.C. United began Wednesday night’s game without urgency or cohesion, and the rivalry match against the New York Red Bulls started to spiral deeper into the visitors’ favor. It seemed to be the early stages of a self-inflicted disaster thanks to poor performance and a 24th-minute red card for captain Wayne Rooney. But just before halftime, United earned a reprieve when New York had a man sent off, too.
The burst of hope that energized Audi Field was warranted; United’s Ola Kamara scored in the 55th minute to tie the score. But New York converted a penalty in the 59th and held on to win, 2-1.