Sean Nealis scores go-ahead goal in 58th minute, Red Bulls beat DC United 5-3 in 101st meeting
WASHINGTON — Omir Fernandez scored two goals in the first half, Sean Nealis had a go-ahead goal in the 58th minute and the New York Red Bulls beat D.C. United 5-3 on a rainy Saturday night to spoil Christian Benteke's hat-trick.
New York (8-12-10) won for just the second time in its last 17 regular-season away matches, with five draws and 10 losses, dating to September 2022. D.C. United (9-13-9) had its four-game unbeaten streak end. United had allowed only one goal over those four games.
Benteke's third goal of the game, and 13th of the year, came on a penalty kick in first-half stoppage time to give D.C. United a 3-2 lead. But New York forward Cameron Harper tied it a 3-all three minutes later.
John Tolkin capped the scoring in second-half stoppage time.
Carlos Coronel saved four shots for the Red Bulls. Alex Bono finished with three saves in his sixth start of the season for DC United.
The Red Bulls travel to play the Chicago Fire next Saturday. DC United travels to play the Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday.
It was the 101st meeting between D.C. United and the Red Bulls in MLS, including the playoffs. New York, which won the last meeting 1-0 in August, won consecutive games in the series for the first time since a three-match run in 2017-18.