New York Red Bulls Must Stay Focused after D.C. United Triumph (Highlights) 2
Apr 15, 2017; Harrison, NJ, USA; D.C. United goalkeeper Bill Hamid (28) makes a save from New York Red Bulls midfielder Derrick Etienne (7) in the second half at Red Bull Arena. New York Red Bulls defeat D.C. United 2-0. Mandatory Credit: William Hauser-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Red Bulls performed well against D.C. United, but must retain their concentration in order to claim further victories.

  • New York Red Bulls 2 (3-1-3, 10 pts)
  • D.C. United 0 (2-1-3, 7 pts)
  • MLS, Final, Box Score
  • Red Bull Arena, Harrison, New Jersey
The New York Red Bulls responded to a four-game winless streak with an impressive 2-0 victory over DC United. The hosts deservedly claimed all three points to move to fifth in the eastern conference standings.

However, such performances must continue in order for the Harrison-based side to convince supporters of the prospect that they challenge at the top. The victory, though impressive, should not reduce concern about the Red Bull’s poor start to their campaign.

All things considered, the club’s display against D.C was impressive.

The Red Bulls didn’t create many chances, but controlled the game quite well and limited the threat of their opponents in the attacking third. Other than one great save to deny United an equalizer after the hosts took the lead, Luis Robles was not busy. Jesse Marsch’s men were not dominant, but the victory was still fairly comfortable.

However, this is one match, and while it is a great response to recent results, the fact that it is a response is a bit of a worry. The Red Bulls finished first in the eastern conference last season, and the fact that they ended it is no surprise. The end of a winless streak is therefore not enough to suggest that their form will improve in upcoming fixtures.

Because their opening performances have been poor, it will take a number of strong performances, rather than simply one, to demonstrate their potential to compete at the top of the table and challenge for the MLS Cup.

To be fair, an underwhelming first few games is not enough to determine the future success of a team. The Red Bulls’ recent string of poor results may well be misleading and an inaccurate reflection of their quality. They took several dips in form last regular season, but topped the Eastern Conference in the end.

And yet, it is difficult to bypass their dreadful displays. After victories in their first two fixtures, the Red Bulls took just one point from their following four fixtures. Had they played well and simply been unfortunate to obtain points from these clashes, worry should not be as high, as it is still early days in the season. Unfortunately, that was not the case for the Red Bulls as they were dreadful in these four fixtures.

They were outplayed by Seattle in a 3-1 defeat were then defeated in a similar manner against Houston Dynamo after a poor performance in a 0-0 draw at home to Real Salt Lake. They were dominated by Orlando the next weekend and could have lost by far more than only one goal.

The win over D.C offered reassurance, rather than belief. The end of an awful run is a start, but nothing to imply a strong season. A consistency of strong performances is what it takes. Whether or not the win over United is a blip or the beginning of a series of great outcomes remains to be seen.

Alexander Puri is eighteen years of age and currently resides in Manhattan, where he has lived for his entire life. He plans to pursue media studies when he attends Boston University as a freshman this September. Alexander is a passionate soccer fan and supports Juventus, Liverpool FC, and NYCFC. He watches these clubs play on a regular basis and has written multiple articles about all three teams. He normally spends his weekends watching the English Premier League before participating in pickup-soccer games in numerous fields throughout the city. Outside of sports, Alexander takes great interest to science fiction and fantasy franchises and often reads comics and watches films of such genres. For any inquires, you can reach him at alexarjun24@gmail.com