D.C. United, New York Red Bulls produce unhinged 4-4 Atlantic Cup classic: Match report

D.C. United hasn't offered a ton of excitement in 2026, but maybe they were just planning on packing it entirely into one game.

United came back from 2-0, 3-1, and 4-3 down to secure a 4-4 draw over the New York Red Bulls in one of the wildest Atlantic Cup clashes in the 31-year-old MLS rivalry's history. Tai Baribo scored his first hat trick for the Black-and-Red, including an 80th-minute equalizer, to secure a road point.

Facing a fourth game in 11 days, United would have been forgiven for trying to slow play down and preserve their legs. Instead, D.C. offered their most aggressive road start of 2026, pressing New York into a transitional game and pushing numbers forward.

João Peglow thought he'd opened the scoring after five minutes, only for an offside flag in the build-up to deny United a goal. It felt like a tough break for a team that doesn't score often, but what followed was a contender for MLS's game of the season.

United had started well, but it suddenly dissolved as New York's highly-touted youngsters pounced in the 15th minute. Adri Mehmeti was able to get his head up and break lines, feeding Ronald Donkor — having escaped Brandon Servania, who returned to the starting 11 in Nikola Markovic's place — on the edge of the box.

Kye Rowles couldn't close Donkor in time, and the Red Bulls midfielder just had to nudge the ball on for 18-year-old striker Julian Hall, who had no problem powering a shot past Sean Johnson.

That goal seemed to come from nowhere, and the Red Bulls would notch a second in similarly surprising fashion six minutes later. Silvan Hefti repelled Jorge Ruvalcaba's initial thrust up the flank, but Matthew Dos Santos arrived to drive another cross in. The ball clipped Aaron Herrera on its way, falling perfectly for Donkor to make it 2-0.

D.C. were shaken, but Herrera nearly created something out of nothing in the 35th minute. A brave header as Robert Voloder tried to scoop the ball with a high boot didn't just disrupt the Red Bulls, but allowed the Guatemala defender scamper in behind.

RBNY defenders caught up to Herrera on the edge of the box, but his layoff set Baribo up. The Israel striker did his best to get the shot off quickly, but Dylan Nealis came flying in with a spectacular block.

That was a signal of things to come, with United breaking a 397-minute scoreless run through Baribo two minutes later. Hefti came through a battle with possession near midfield, clipping a pass in behind the hosts' back line.

Jackson Hopkins did well to peel his run from a central position out to the flank, eventually chopping a cutback towards the penalty spot. Peglow's run across dragged defenders to the near post, allowing Baribo to slide in and drive home his first of the night.

A game of wild swings continued from there, with D.C. now back to asserting themselves. Hopkins, this time on the left, picked out Baribo for a free header that went barely wide, while Herrera and Hefti continued to open up crossing chances along the right.

United had dealt with Ruvalcaba comfortably over the game's first 51 minutes, but were suddenly torched in the 52nd. The Mexico international got isolated against Hefti, dribbling past him, then offering a feint that got Herrera to dive in and slide completely out of the way.

From no angle, the former Pumas UNAM winger then produced a ferocious finish, launching a rocket into the roof of the net to make it 3-1.

It could have been game over, but United took the punch before responding with a pair of their own. Peglow latched onto a loose ball at midfield, but with RBNY again pushing their line so high, it didn't take much to break it. Peglow slipped the ball in behind, and suddenly Hopkins and Baribo were in with a 2-on-0 break.

Hopkins this time called his own number, side-footing past Ethan Horvath in the 54th minute and pushing DCU right back in with a shout.

Stunningly, United got back on level terms a mere five minutes later. Rowles looked for Peglow, sparking a transition, with the Brazilian winger doing just enough to turn Jakheel Marshall-Rutty, who went sprawling as a result. No foul call was coming, and from there Peglow sent Baribo in for another solo raid on Horvath for a classic striker's finish.

D.C. seemed to be all over the Red Bulls, with Hopkins denied on another big chance, but a second Ruvalcaba golazo put the hosts ahead once again. Donkor feinted past Matti Peltola as United sent numbers forward to high press, with the Ghanaian spraying the ball into space for Ruvalcaba.

In acres of space, the Red Bulls winger progressed towards the box before cutting inside of the retreating Herrera and Lucas Bartlett before bending a 23-yard shot past Johnson to make it 4-3.

Again United could have crumbled, and again they got up off the mat to strike back in the 80th minute. Peltola's diagonal picked out an open Caden Clark, who had checked in three minutes earlier, and the substitute slipped Hefti in behind on the overlap.

Hefti's cutback was so ideal that all it took for the $4 million man to get a hat trick was to simply chest the ball into an empty net.

This game had to have more drama, and Johnson provided it in stoppage time. Another sub, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, seemed to have stamped the winner with a header towards the corner, but United's veteran goalkeeper threw himself left, somehow clawing the ball off the line and away from danger.

There was still time for United to be denied once again, as Jacob Murrell's presumptive winner was called back. Substitute Jared Stroud's cross picked out the Maryland native for an audacious heel flick with what seemed like the game's coup de grace. However, referee Marcos DeOlivieira blew for a foul as Murrell sent his marker Voloder to the grass with a push.

The Black-and-Red (2-3-4) will hope to carry the attacking threat back home as they conclude a stretch of five matches in two weeks this Saturday, when they host struggling Orlando City at Audi Field. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET.

Box score — MLS regular season (game 9)
4/22/2026

New York Red Bulls 4 (Hall 15; Donkor 21; Ruvalcaba 52, 71)
D.C. United 4 (Baribo 37, 59, 80; Hopkins 54)

Lineups:
Red Bulls (433): Ethan Horvath; Jakheel Marshall-Rutty, Dylan Nealis, Robert Voloder, Matthew Dos Santos (Joyeux Bungi 46); Ronald Donkor, Adri Mehmeti (Gustav Berggren 65), Emil Forsberg (C); Rafael Mosquera (Mohammed Sofo 65), Julian Hall, Jorge Ruvalcaba (Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting 80)

DCU (4231): Sean Johnson; Silvan Hefti, Lucas Bartlett (C), Kye Rowles, Keisuke Kurokawa; Matti Peltola, Brandon Servania (Nikola Markovic 81); Aaron Herrera (Caden Clark 77), Jackson Hopkins (Jacob Murrell 80), João Peglow (Jared Stroud 93+); Tai Baribo

Bookings:
Red Bulls - Mehmeti 50
DCU - Markovic 86, Clark 90

Referee: Marcos DeOliveira
Weather: Cloudy, humid, 54°
Attendance: Will add once I have it