D.C. United secured a 2-1 victory over the New York Red Bulls on October 14, 2026, at Audi Field in Washington, D.C. This win marked United's first in over a month and only their fourth since the start of May.
The match began with D.C. United's forward Tai Baribo converting a penalty kick in the 5th minute, following a foul by Red Bulls midfielder Adri Mehmeti. This goal was Baribo's 15th of the season. In first-half stoppage time, Baribo assisted defender Silvan Hefti, who scored with a header, giving United a 2-0 lead at halftime.
In the 68th minute, D.C. United's defender Lucas Bartlett received his second yellow card, reducing the team to ten players. The Red Bulls capitalized three minutes later when substitute Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting scored, assisted by Emil Forsberg and Ronald Donkor, narrowing the deficit to 2-1. Despite being a man down, D.C. United's goalkeeper Sean Johnson made six saves, preserving the lead and securing the win.
This result improved D.C. United's record to 7-9-12, placing them 12th in the Eastern Conference, while the Red Bulls fell to 10-13-6, remaining in eighth place. D.C. United's next match is against Orlando City on Saturday, while the Red Bulls will host Toronto FC on the same day.