United-Red Bulls Preview
The New York Red Bulls are likely among the top believers in the validity of D.C. United's turnaround.
Should visiting D.C. do any further convincing Wednesday night, it'll complete a season sweep of the 2013 Supporters' Shield winner while furthering its case for a worst-to-first bounce-back season.
United (14-8-5) finished with an MLS-low three wins a season ago, but it stands atop the Eastern Conference with 47 points and a five-point cushion over struggling Sporting Kansas City. It added a point to that lead with Saturday's scoreless draw at Vancouver.
"Everyone is trying to catch us, and first place is what we want to get," defender Sean Franklin said. "Ultimately we want to finish in first place and hopefully win the Supporters' Shield. Our team knows we're about a game or two away from being in the playoffs, and that's our biggest goal right now, the playoffs."
Though it was unable to break through in the attack, the club posted its fourth clean sheet in five tries across all competitions. In league play, United has conceded a conference-low 30 goals and leads the East with a plus-12 goal differential.
Further stability could be on the way with midfielder Chris Pontius available for selection for the first time this season after undergoing hamstring surgery. The veteran started 109 league matches for the club from 2009-13.
New York (8-8-10) has been strong at home recently with a 5-0-2 mark across all competitions. Its 2-1 win over Kansas City on Saturday was its fourth straight at Red Bull Arena.
Two usual suspects handled the scoring with league scoring leader Bradley Wright-Phillips converting from the penalty spot in the 11th minute for his 21st goal before Thierry Henry added to the lead in the 52nd while situating in a new spot on the left side of the midfield.
Both European imports have three goals in the last three league matches, though they were shut down in a 2-0 loss at D.C. on Aug. 31, which was a major source of Henry's frustration heading into the Kansas City match.
"When Thierry's (ticked) off in the right way, when he's engaged and when he's taking it upon himself to be mentally into it right from the beginning, he's unstoppable," midfielder Dax McCarty told the club's official website. "You can't stop a player like that when he wants to play at his absolute best."
Wright-Phillips finds himself six goals shy of tying the single-season league mark with eight matches remaining. The record is shared by Roy Lassiter (1996) and Chris Wondolowski (2012).
The Red Bulls, who also lost 1-0 in D.C. on April 12, enter this match with an opportunity to leap Philadelphia for the fifth and final playoff spot in the East before the clubs meet Saturday. Philadelphia's 36 points lead New York by two.
It's unknown whether Red Bulls midfielder Tim Cahill will return to the lineup after missing the last game due to an international call-up for Australia. Cahill scored in Monday's friendly with Saudi Arabia but hasn't in 10 matches with New York since returning from the World Cup on June 27.