Red Bulls-D.C. United Preview

D.C. United's only loss and the only goals Bill Hamid has allowed this season came against the New York Red Bulls.

A change of venue could be just what D.C. needs in the rematch.

United look to extend their home unbeaten streak to 14 games by avenging their defeat to the unbeaten Red Bulls on Saturday night.

United (3-1-0) have only needed to score three times to get three wins because Hamid, last year's MLS Goalkeeper of the Year, stopped all 11 shots on net in those games. His five saves at New York on March 22 weren't enough, as D.C. fell 2-0 in its first meeting with the Red Bulls (2-0-1) since being eliminated in the Eastern Conference semifinals last fall.

United may be looking forward to having this matchup at RFK Stadium, where they've gone 12-0-1 in their last 13 games in all competitions while outscoring the opposition 24-6. That includes a 2-1 win over the Red Bulls in the second leg of last year's playoff series, which wasn't enough to overturn the 2-0 defeat in the first game.

New York has lost its last three visits to D.C., which last played at home March 28 and defeated reigning MLS Cup champion Los Angeles 1-0 on Chris Pontius' stoppage-time goal. Luis Silva provided the dramatics last Friday in his season debut, finding the net on a free kick in the final minutes of a 1-0 victory at Orlando.

Coach Ben Olsen, however, isn't pleased.

"We got a lot of work to do, and one thing we are not sure of is the belief of this team," Olsen said.

That doesn't seem to be an issue for Red Bulls coach Jesse Marsch, who has the club off to its best start since opening 3-0-2 in 2007.

New York has been idle since winning 2-1 at Columbus on March 28.

"This team just keeps pushing and keeps coming together," Marsch said. "I really like these guys. That's the major feeling you have right now. There's something happening here and I think we all can feel it."

Bradley Wright-Phillips certainly is after collecting one goal and one assist in each of the last two games, quelling any concern about the potential lack of production following the offseason departure of forward Thierry Henry.

Wright-Phillips has two goals and two assists in the last three meetings with D.C., including the playoffs.

Sacha Kljestan has yet to register a shot on target, but the midfielder is focused on the bigger picture.

"The results have been good, and we've played good soccer, so that has been great. Obviously, I don't have any goals or assists yet, but that part will come," Kljestan said. "I think my relationship with Bradley is growing pretty quickly. I think we've gotten a lot better of finding each other on the field."

United may give Silva a start for the first time since he suffered a season-ending hamstring injury in a win over Houston on Oct. 12. The midfielder had a career-high 11 goals and four assists last year, and Olsen is in search of a creative element to the midfield.

"He is a guy that really does a great job underneath, exploiting teams and finding goals," Olsen said.

Silva's only goal in six career meetings with New York came in a 2-0 home win Aug. 31.