Red Bulls Advance to MLS Cup Eastern Final
HARRISON, N.J. (AP) — Bradley Wright-Phillips scored 2 minutes into second-half injury time and the New York Red Bulls beat D.C. United 1-0 on Sunday to advance to the Eastern Conference finals.
The Red Bulls, who won the first leg of the two-game series 1-0 last week in Washington, advanced on aggregate goals 2-0, marking the second straight year they have beaten their I-95 rivals in the semifinals.
New York will face either the Montreal Impact or Columbus Crew in another two-game series.
Montreal played at Columbus later Sunday in the second match of their two-game series. Montreal won its home leg 2-1 last Sunday.
The goal came on Wright-Phillips' second chance within minutes as D.C. United pushed forward needing a goal to force extra time. After D.C. keeper Bill Hamid stretched to push wide a chance by Wright-Phillips 2 minutes earlier, second-half substitute Gonzalo Veron fed the English forward and he dribbled around Hamid to score into an open net.
Before the late drama, neither team created a lot of chances. Hard fouls by both teams limited the opportunities.
The Red Bulls had two of the best moments, hitting the post 1:34 after the opening kickoff and forcing Hamid into a leaping parry in the 63rd minute.
Mike Grella ran only a slow rolling corner and hit a right-footed drive from near the top of the penalty area, only to see it strike the right post less than two minutes into the game.
Sacha Kljestan tested Hamid in the second half, getting the ball with time and space on the left side of the penalty area and trying to curl a right-footed effort into the far upper corner. But Hamid stretched with his left hand to tip it over the bar.
D.C. United's best moments came in the scond half. Fabian Espindola broke in unmarked from the right in the 56th minute, but New York keeper Luis Robles pushed his sharp angled shot wide of the near post. Six minutes later, Bobby Boswell redirected a header by Espindola, but it was easily grabbed by Robles.
