New York Red Bulls are now only one step away from playing for the Major League Soccer title after Bradley-Wright Phillips sealed a 2-0 aggregate win over DC United in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals.
In front of more than 25,000 at the Red Bull Arena, the home side almost took the lead inside two minutes when Mike Grella's effort came back off the right post.
New York, who took a 1-0 lead from the first leg at RFK Stadium thanks to Dax McCarty's goal in the capital, were on the front foot again as Bill Hamid denied both Grella and Wright-Phillips.
Jesse Marsch's men continued to press for another goal, with Sacha Kljestan and Kemar Lawrence going close for the home side.
Instead, it was DC who almost brought themselves level in the tie as Chris Rolfe fired a shot narrowly wide of the target.
Fabian Espindola then brought a save out of Luis Robles, with United desperate for a goal to keep their hopes alive.
However, with DC committing men forward in the dying stages, it was left to Wright-Phillips to score his 18th of the season and put New York into the final.
Chris O'Keefe
