As the final whistle sounded Wednesday, D.C. United goalkeeper Bill Hamid punted the ball into the night — a release of emotion and relief shared by his spent teammates and a skittish crowd at Audi Field.
After scoring early, United lived both dangerously and heroically, its MLS playoff outlook hinging on each brilliant save by Hamid and a collective performance under late duress that yielded a 1-0 victory over the New York Red Bulls.
With two matches left, United (13-14-5) is back above the Eastern Conference’s seven-team threshold, but just by a thread. It’s a point ahead of the Red Bulls and Montreal, but both have played one fewer match.