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Lack of Finishing
The New York Red Bulls managed to possess the ball for 57.1% vs 42.9% to D.C. United. For a team to have 57.1% possession is impressive, even more so when it is on the road. They managed a total of 19 shots, with 15 of them coming from within the box. When it comes to accuracy though, they only got three shots on target. It's been a common theme so far in this year, New York keeping a lot of possession, but not being able to do anything in the final third. Maybe this game, it was partly due to not having Tim Cahill to act as a target in the box, but I think it's a symptom of a bigger problem, and Mike Petke needs to fix the offense, and quickly.
Steadfast Defense
Last week, the defense let the Montreal Impact get off so many shots that Luis Robles made nine saves. This week Robles made 4 saves, and half of the total shots by D.C. came from outside the box. The defense stepped up it's game, most likely by Jamison Olave coming back into the lineup, since D.C. doesn't use turf. It's not the first time the defense has put in a solid performance only to be let down by the offense, and if this trend continues, it won't be the last.
Luis Robles
Robles let in 1 goal on 5 shots on target, and the one goal wasn't really his fault. The goal came off of a corner kick where Eric Alexander didn't stay on his man, Davy Arnaud, who made it to the back post and put a header past Robles, who struggled to change his direction. Like the defense, Robles has come up big in games this year, but is being let down by the offense.
Bonus Thought: Petke's Subs
Petke seems to have fallen in to the Hans Backe way of coaching, leave your team as it is, and don't really make changes until the end, regardless of the score. Yes, he brought on Bradley Wright-Phillips for Jonny Steele in the 66th minute, but that move didn't work because Eric Alexander was still playing in central midfield. Speaking for Alexander, Petke finally subbed him out for Ruben Bover, but that wasn't until stoppage time. Last year, Petke seemed to have a magic touch with his subs, but so far this year, the touch has alluded him.