Photo by ISIPhotos.com
The New York Red Bulls have made the trip down I-95 to take on D.C. United in the Eastern Conference playoff semifinals, which kick off tonight in first-leg action at RFK Stadium (8pm, NBC Sports).
D.C. United enters tonight’s match on a seven-match unbeaten streak, riding a strong defense and the attacking efforts of Chris Pontius, Branko Boskovic and Nick DeLeon to a strong finish despite losing reigning MLS MVP Dwayne DeRosario for the rest of the regular season with an injury.
The Red Bulls enter having posted consecutive shutouts to finish the season, with Hans Backe settling on a new back four of Heath Pearce, Rafa Marquez, Markus Holgersson and Connor Lade. That quartet will have the task of trying to contain Pontius, who scored five goals in three matches against the Red Bulls this season.
Backe has decided to bench forward Kenny Cooper despite Cooper coming off a two-goal effort against Philadelphia, and an 18-goal regular season. Sebastien LeToux gets the call up top alongside Thierry Henry.
SBI will be providing live commentary on tonight’s match so please feel free to share your thoughts, opinions and some play-by-play in the comments section below.
Enjoy the action (Commentary is after the jump):
Super defensive mindset from the beginning from Hans, even with that the team defended poorly and NYRB was unbelievably lucky to go in 0-0. Connor Lade was absolutely dreadful at right back again. Dude offers a little something as a winger but he’s just not a full-back. He’s a total liability. Don’t understand why Hans continues to play him there instead of Barklage or even Solli.
Having said that, the team battled and I’m hopeful of getting a result on Wednesday.
Have to say after watching Najar’s petulance tonight, I’m not too upset that he’s a traitor to our country. Don’t need that kind of nonsense in WCQ.
A traitor to our country?? He was born to Honduran parents, in Honduras, and didnt move to the US until his teens. Never once did he even say he would play for the US. And all of a sudden he’s a traitor? Some people that comment on this site have a bit of the crazy.
Backe will certainly be fired. Why does he continue to tinker with so much at stake? Dax is the team’s holding central midfielder. Period. The Red Bulls win when he is in the middle. Cooper should have started up top. Yes, “he needs good guys around him”, and ironically, he has good guys around him and 18 goals to show for it. Conor looked like a liability tonight. He needs a talking to.
Ben Olsen’s b1tch and always a victim attitude has clearly bled down to his players.
Great effort by Lindpere, but he seemed to be the only NYRB with any intensity out there (W the exception of Robles)
Looked like he was toe-poking that out of bounds and Pajoy hits it at the same time at Robles.
DC United is in complete whine mode right now.
Did look like back pass at real speed, less clear on replay.
Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhh……back pass, no?
Guess I need a replay to see
Nobody loves missing goals more than Pajoy. Nice effort there, though.
Are everyone else’s comments being moderated all the time? I heard it was true the first time, but this is hardly my first time (lol). Hell, I’ve been commenting on SBI since ’05
I’ve been commenting on SBI for +4 years too, and just recently got moderated after the new web format.
I hope Arlo White never refers to Hans Backe as a silver fox again.
Dive by Pontius? If so, dumb move. He looked like he was in.
Looked like it. Lade had him beat.
Maybe. Still hate the dive in that spot. You’ve got the ball! Make a move! Make a play! I didn’t think Pontius was an Italian name. Must be on his mom’s side (not that he’s the only one to go down in that spot. You see that all the time)
Oh I don’t disagree.
NYRB impotent even up a man.
Starting LeToux over Cooper is easily the dumbest thing that’s happened this game. And we’ve had two own goals, a missed PK and a red card for throwing the ball at an official.
Why not put all strikers on the pitch?
I’m pretty sure Cooper could defend better than Roy Miller.
Could get Lade off the pitch and drop Tainio back? Maybe 10 min ago?
I’m at a loss, dude. This whole dang team looks flat and uninspired.
yeah…
As a neutral, I love it when there’s drama. One might argue its just passion manifested. Love it.
This game just turned into a comedy of errors.
WOW WHAT IS ANDY NAJAR DOING?!?!?!
He attacked a referee!!!!!! HE ATTACKED THE REFEREE
Bud. Calm down. No way is that in any way an “attack”. It was dumb. And it was right he was sent off. But get real with that attack talk.
All the offensive firepower in this game and we have 2 own goals… Nice.
Of course, for sheer style points, you have to say Miller’s finish was far classier than Hamid’s.
That was a brilliant strike by Miller, an upper corner rocket. As for Hamid, his equalizer made up for his brilliant play in Chicago. The life of a keeper.
I know a player with just one knee and he plays better than Bill Hamid.
Strangely enough, Hamid looked like he was missing a knee on that play.
You’ll be eating those words when you’re cheering Hamid in the nets for the USMNT in a few years.
I should know this but I don’t recall: do these series include weighted away goals?
negative
And that’s why Bil Hamid is a joke. Tries to flop and ends up own goaling it.
I hate to all someone an idiot — or a joke. But, if someone is a joke here, it ain’t Bill Hamid.