RECAP: Red Bulls 1-0 D.C. United (2-0 agg.)

The New York Red Bulls got another 1-0 win against D.C. United today to book their place in the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Red Bulls dominated possession and relied on their organization to limit DC's chances, as Ben Olsen's side struggled to create any clear cut scoring opportunities. The match wasn't pretty by any means, with both teams combining for a total of 25 fouls. The result was never really in doubt, outside of a few nervy moments when United earned a late corner kick.

Jesse Marsch stuck to his usual game plan, with the only exception being the inclusion of Ronald Zubar in the starting lineup as a replacement for the injured Damien Perrinelle. The high pressure system paid dividends again, as RBNY scored yet another goal off of a turnover in the opposition's half.

Bradley Wright-Phillips scored the only goal of the game in the 93rd minute. Substitute Gonzalo Veron won the ball off of Bobby Boswell before cutting inside and slotting a pass across the box to a wide open Wright-Phillips. With the goal at his mercy, BWP coolly killed the game off with a tap-in.

3 Thoughts

Possession

The other team can't score if you always have the ball. RBNY really took that mantra to heart today, controlling 62.3% of possession. DC mustered a paltry 3 shots on goal through both games of the match-up, and while a lot of that has to do with DC's defensive nature, the Red Bulls' possession game deserves some credit for this too.

Bradley Wright-Phillips does more than just score

BWP could have easily had two goals on the day, if it wasn't for a brilliant save from Bill Hamid. His last minute goal also means that he now owns the franchise record for most playoff goals. All that aside, Wright-Phillips' movement off of the ball is just as important as what he does when he has the ball. It showed today, as he always drew defenders out of position whenever he made a run.

Defending the counter attack

While DC didn't score in any of the two games, the Red Bulls looked most vulnerable whenever DC counter attacked quickly. This shouldn't come as a surprise as RBNY tends to play the majority of their matches in their opponent's half, but it could be a problem when they play a team with more creativity up front.