D.C. United were staring at a two-week break after the match against the New York Red Bulls on Sunday. To make that time off more enjoyable, a win was imperative. The home side had it in their grasps until Bradley Wright-Phillips snatched it away from them as the match finished 3-3 at Audi Field.
The Englishman scored a hat trick, all of which leveled the scoring after D.C. took a lead. The last one came in the 90th minute after Alex Muyl found him in front of net peeling away from a defender. BWP finished first time with his left foot past Bill Hamid.
Wright-Phillips scored his second equalizer of the match in the 76th minute, finishing through Oniel Fisher's legs and past Hamid. The goal was his second of the match, with his first coming in the 41st minute after a Hamid miscue, finishing with an overhead kick to score his second goal at Audi Field this season. The Englishman now has 19 goals this season.
Luciano Acosta looked to have found the game-winner in the 87th minute after a give-and-go with Yamil Asad. The Argentinian was slipped past the Red Bulls backline on a tight angle and the playmaker finished over Luis Robles to put the home team up 3-2.
Wayne Rooney gave United a lead in the 64th minute, coolly finishing a Fisher cross with his left foot on his first touch. It was Rooney's fifth goal of the season and Fisher got his first assist with D.C. after coming on as a sub at halftime. The former English international had chances to score two more goals, with one clanging off the crossbar and the other being saved by Robles in a 1v1 situation.
Paul Arriola opened the scoring for Ben Olsen's team in the 25th minute, scoring his fifth goal of the season after getting slotted through by Acosta.
Goals
- 25' — DC — Paul Arriola | WATCH
- 41' — RBNY — Bradley Wright-Phillips | WATCH
- 64' — DC — Wayne Rooney | WATCH
- 76' — RBNY — Bradley Wright-Phillips | WATCH
- 87' — DC — Luciano Acosta | WATCH
- 90' — RBNY — Bradley Wright-Phillips | WATCH
Three Things
- THE BIG PICTURE: The draw not only gives United a sour taste in their mouths, but it drops their chances of reaching the playoffs from 44 percent to 40 percent according to FiveThirtyEight.com. Meanwhile, more dropped points means the Red Bulls will almost assuredly need a win in two weeks vs. Atlanta to capture the Supporters’ Shield.
- MOMENT OF THE MATCH: After a dramatic goal to put D.C up 3-2, it was business as usual for Wright-Phillips as he displayed his lethal finishing yet again.
- MAN OF THE MATCH: Acosta controlled much of the match, but it has to go to Wright-Phillips, who scored his fifth MLS hat trick.
Next Up
- DC: Saturday, September 29 vs. Montreal Impact (7 pm ET | TVAS)
- RBNY: Saturday, September 22 vs. Toronto FC (5 pm ET | TSN — Full TV & streaming info)
