New York Red Bulls defeated DC United 2-0 thanks to goals from Englishmen Bradley Wright-Phillips and Lloyd Sam this evening.
Red Bulls attacked from the start, with Sacha Kljestan narrowly missing the net in the fourth minute.
Wright-Phillips then directed a header on goal in the 18th minute, only to see his effort turned away by Bill Hamid.
Felipe, Sal Zizzo and Kemar Lawrence failed to find the net, but it did not take long for Red Bulls to take the lead, with Wright-Phillips opening the scoring after 25 minutes.
The goal galvanised DC United, who tried to respond through Chris Rolfe and Bobby Boswell. Neither player could restore parity, however, while Chris Pontius and Jairo Arrieta also saw their shots saved by Red Bulls goalkeeper Luis Robles before half time.
Zizzo's long-range shot was saved by Hamid on the hour mark, before Rolfe was twice denied a goal at the other end.
Sam scored Red Bulls' second with 20 minutes remaining, powering the ball into the roof of the net from six yards after the assist from Wright-Phillips.
DC United pushed for a consolation goal in the closing stages, but Robles kept out shots from Rolfe, Nick DeLeon and Sean Franklin.
Sam and Wright-Phillips combined again in the 83rd minute with Wright-Phillips playing a perfect through-ball to put Sam in one-on-one, but the former Charlton Athletic winger's chipped shot was well saved by Hamid.
DC United won a penalty in stoppage time but where unable to give themselves a glimmer of hope as Pontius launched the ball high over the crossbar from 12 yards.
The result moves New York Red Bulls up to second in the Eastern Conference standings, with DC United in sixth.
Jonathan McIntosh
