QUESTIONABLE: MF Albert Celades (L hamstring strain); DF Carlos Mendes (R shoulder injury); MF Luke Sassano (R knee sprain) ... D.C. UNITED - OUT: MF Christian Gomez (hamstring strain); FW Ange N'Silu (hip flexor strain)
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
SUSPENDED: NY: Carlos Johnson (through April 26)
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (50 meetings):
Red Bulls 17 wins (1 shootout), 73 goals ... United 27 wins (1 shootout), 102 goals ... Ties 6
AT NEW YORK (24 meetings): Red Bulls 10 wins (0 shootout), 33 goals ... United 11 wins (0 shootout), 43 goals ... Ties 3
RETURN MATCH:
6/4: New York Red Bulls at D.C. United, 7:30 p.m.
LAST YEAR (MLS):
6/14: DC 4, NY 1 (Emilio 23, 45, 59; Simms 26 - van den Bergh 54)
8/10: NY 4, DC 1 (Angel 27, 50; Magee 45; Ubiparipovic 87 - Moreno 16)
8/30: DC 0, NY 0
• United have won the Atlantic Cup in six of the seven years it has been contested. United won in the first year of 2002, the MetroStars claiming the trophy the next season, then United reclaimed it in 2004 before becoming the first team to defend the honor. United won it for a fifth consecutive season last year. Goal difference is the first tie-breaker, followed by away goals; if still tied, United (as holders) will retain the cup.
• United are unbeaten at home against New York in league play over the past three seasons, winning four with two draws. New York's last win in Washington came Oct. 8, 2005, a 2-1 triumph. As well, over that span, United have won one game in the MLS Cup Playoffs and one in the U.S. Open Cup (both in 2006).
• After failing to defeat United in eight consecutive league and MLS Cup meetings at Giants Stadium, the Red Bulls have won the last two in East Rutherford.
• Coaches record: Juan Carlos Osorio v DC: P3 W1 L1 D1 ... Tom Soehn vs. NY: P5 W2 L2 D1
NEW YORK RED BULLS
The New York Red Bulls went down a man and a goal inside of the first three minutes and could never come all the way back, falling 1-0 to the Kansas City Wizards on Thursday at CommunityAmerica Ballpark. The Red Bulls have five points from six matches on the season, sitting in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, five points behind the now-division leading Wizards.
LAST MATCH
• The Wizards had come back for a late draw in Chicago after winning their first two games on the season the week before, while the Red Bulls had finally won their first game of 2009, defeating Real Salt Lake 2-0 at home.
• The game turned upside down just two minutes in. Sent through into the area by Claudio Lopez, Herculez Gomez was tripped by Red Bulls fullback Carlos Johnson after the Wizards winger won the ball and looked to be in alone on goal. Referee Michael Kennedy immediately showed a red card.
• Lopez stepped up and calmly dispatched the resulting penalty kick, rolling it inside the left post while sending New York goalkeeper Jon Conway the other way.
• Wizards goalkeeper Kevin Hartman made two saves in recording his third shutout in the last four games, including a game-saving stop on Juan Pablo Angel in stoppage time.
• Red Bulls head coach Juan Carlos Osorio made three changes to the team that defeated Real Salt Lake 2-0 the weekend before. Carlos Johnson returned from suspension to come in for the suspended Jeremy Hall at right back, and Matthew Mbuta and Danleigh Borman were all new in wide midfield roles, in place of Dane Richards and Khano Smith.
• Here's Osorio's team (4-3-1-2): Jon Conway - Carlos Johnson, Carlos Mendes (Sinisa Ubiparipovic 77), Kevin Goldthwaite, Alfredo Pacheco - Matthew Mbuta, Seth Stammler, Danleigh Borman - Jorge Rojas (Luke Sassano 46) - Juan Pablo Angel, Macoumba Kandji (Dane Richards 59). Substitutes Not Used: Andrew Boyens, Danny Cepero, Khano Smith, John Wolyniec
TEAM NEWS
• The ejection was the fastest in MLS history. Aidan Heaney of the New England Revolution held the previous record at three minutes in for his red card against the Colorado Rapids on May 25, 1996.
• "The whole course of the game changed with that first play. I think it was one of those tough calls for the referee. I think we showed a little character," said Juan Pablo Angel. "The positive thing we can take from here is we didn't cut back, we went for the game, we tried to get the equalizer, and it didn't happen. But I think there were a lot of positives."
• With the ejection, Osorio moved Danleigh Borman back to left back, where he had started three games this season, and moved Alfredo Pacheco from left back to right back. Macoumba Kandji was also moved back into a wide midfield role with Angel alone as an out-and-out striker.
• "One thing we were aware of was the counterattack; obviously they had their chances when we had three in the back. When were playing four in the back I think we controlled them quite well. We also did very well on set plays. We defended very well against a team that is very good on set plays," Osorio said.
• It was the second time in as many games Johnson was sent off. The Costa Rican international was also sent off in his MLS debut, in the 78th minute on April 11 against the Houston Dynamo. "We have enough depth to handle it, but it is frustrating," Osorio said. "I would rather make those decisions on my own opinions based on tactical facts."
• Angel wasn't able to put a close-range header past K.C. goalkeeper Kevin Hartman in stoppage time that would have given the Red Bulls a share of the points; instead, they were left shut out for the fourth time in six games this season.
• "At the end, a point would have been a fair result. But that's football," said Osorio. "I told the guys it will turn around; then those chances will go in. But at the moment, there is no help in it for us."
• Jon Conway was called upon to make five saves in his second game back, and has allowed one goal in two matches since his return from suspension. "I think Conway did well. He made a couple of good saves. A credit to him, he has kept himself in good shape throughout the suspension," Osorio said. Said Conway: "As a goalkeeper it wasn't something that you expect that early in the match, it was unfortunate to go down a man. We did well. I thought our back line did great in limiting their chances. With 10 men they are going to get chances to score, but we did well."
D.C. UNITED
D.C. United let it late but came back to forge a last-gasp 1-1 draw with the New England Revolution on Friday evening at RFK Stadium. United have six points from five matches on the season, sitting in fourth place in the Eastern Conference, just three points behind the first-place Chicago Fire.
LAST MATCH
• The Revolution came to the nation's capital off a bye week still undefeated on the campaign, while United had seen their three-game unbeaten run to open the season ended the week before at Real Salt Lake.
• New England took the lead five minutes after the halftime break. Steve Ralston flighted in a cross from the left corner and Shalrie Joseph slipped in between a pair of defenders to nod the ball home for his first goal on the season.
• But a minute into stoppage time, United pulled level through a bit of history. Jaime Moreno swung in a freekick from the left flank and Ben Olsen got on the end of it at the back post, heading it off a Revolution defender and just over the line. For Moreno, it was his 100th career assist, making him the first player in MLS history to reach triple-digits in both goals and assists, to go with his MLS record 122 goals scored.
• United head coach Tom Soehn made two changes to the team that lost 2-1 to Real Salt Lake the previous weekend. Ben Olsen and Jaime Moreno both came back into the team, with Fred and Andrew Jacobson both returning to the substitutes' bench.
• Here's Soehn's team (3-4-1-2): Louis Crayton - Bryan Namoff, Dejan Jakovic, Marc Burch (Santino Quaranta 46) - Chris Pontius, Ben Olsen, Clyde Simms (Andrew Jacobson 46), Rodney Wallace - Christian Gomez (Fred 60) - Luciano Emilio, Jaime Moreno. Substitutes Not Used: Milos Kocic, Devon McTavish, Ange N'Silu, Anthony Peters
• "I guess the real positive of today is that we've been losing goals at the end of games, and today we came back. I have always said that we're a young team, I'm not saying that anymore. We've got enough games now that we need to start showing some maturity," Soehn said. "Sticking in there and getting a goal back is a positive, but I still feel like we gave away two points today. And you know how the season goes, you don't want to look back and say 'I wish I had those two points', because today we should've had them."
TEAM NEWS
• United outshot the Revolution 20-4 for the match, but were still left with just a draw, their third in five matches on the season.
• "You leave this game very frustrated because, I thought, especially the first half, they were ripe for the picking. And I don't think we did a good enough job of managing the space and hitting the weak side, and causing them more trouble," Soehn said. "We obviously generated chances, but the first half was there for the taking. I don't think we did a very good job of managing it.
• Moreno deflected much of the praise of his record-setting night, coming in his 298th career league appearance, saying "I always say it doesn't really mean a lot to me. But I guess numbers, they count in America." But, said teammate Santino Quaranta: "I'd be surprised if anybody ever does that in the way that he did it, over the period of his career, the amount of championships he's won. It's not just the numbers, it's what he's done for the club.
• Clyde Simms was forced off at halftime, having been ill all day, and Andrew Jacobson came back into a central midfield spot. "He came on at halftime, I didn't think we had enough guys enforcing the game and he came in and did a great job. He put a stamp on the game, he made some physical plays when he needed to, and broke up a lot of plays in the middle. For two games now, he's done a good job of that," Soehn said.
• Olsen also returned to the lineup despite suffering a ankle knock during the week that left his availability in doubt. "He took a big knock on Monday. We left him home (from Salt Lake) to rest him, and he was hungry to get back on the field and he took a knock and we weren't sure if he was going to be able to do it tonight. But he stuck through and in the end he scored a point," Soehn said. "Not many guys are going to do that. But that's Benny."
• On Wednesday, D.C. United began defense of their U.S. Open Cup title with a 2-0 victory against FC Dallas in a first-round play-in game at RFK Stadium. Fred (21) and Brandon Barklage (66) scored for United, who now move into a second-round play-in against the winner of the April 29 match between the San Jose Earthquakes and New York Red Bulls, with the winner of that game entering the tournament proper.
• United coach Tom Soehn handed four players their first starts of the season: Barklage, Milos Kocic, Boyzzz Khumalo and Santino Quaranta. Here's Soehn's team: Milos Kocic, Bryan Namoff (Dejan Jakovic 62), Greg Janicki, Marc Burch, Thabiso Khumalo, Brandon Barklage, Andrew Jacobson, Devon McTavish, Fred (Rodney Wallace 61), Chris Pontius (Jaime Moreno 73), Santino Quaranta (Anthony Peters 82). Subs Not Used: Josh Wicks, John DiRaimando, Luciano Emilio.
• "I've said from the beginning that we have a deep team and it was fun to get them on the field and let them show what they're about, their character, the qualities of why we brought some of them here," said the third-year boss. "It's probably one of the deepest teams I've coached. So I have confidence in them, because they've shown me every day."
