THE NEW YORK RED BULLS advanced to the Eastern Conference final thanks to a 2-0 aggregate win over archrival D.C. United Sunday night in Harrison. N.J.. It was an ugly series without much flow at all, but in the end the best team advanced to the next round.

Here are my thoughts on the game.

Despite scoreline, it wasn’t close

Until Bradley Wright-Phillips tallied in second-half stoppage time Sunday, D.C. United was still within striking distance. Despite what the scoreboard said, however, the gulf between the two teams in terms of quality was very, very wide. New York controlled possession and had nearly every decent scoring chance, and its defense limited D.C. to only marginal opportunities. Looking back, it would be easy to imagine these two teams playing two more legs—and United still not coming close to scoring.

With the exception of its knockout round win over New England, D.C. United lacked any kind of bite in the second half of the season. If this is the team’s direction heading into next season, it is in very serious trouble. United had a couple of wins this year where it managed to pull out results against the run of play—most notably a 1-0 win over Montreal in August despite being outshot 25-1—but it could not repeat this feat against New York. 

Hamid kept D.C. within striking distance

There's only one reason this series was not an absolute blowout: Bill Hamid. The D.C. keeper did everything possible to keep his team in the series. He had some luck when Mike Grella hit the post early in the first half Sunday night, but his two big saves in the second half—on Sacha Kljestan’s chip and his diving stop on Wright-Philips—were sublime.

Hamid, 24, has been selected for the latest U.S. national team roster and he finally seems to be coming into his own as one of the best, and most consistent, keepers in MLS.

In terms of achieving success at the club level, though, he deserves better. His teammates let him down against a Red Bulls team that just seemed to want it more.

Miazga continues his ascent

It has been an incredible year for Matt Miazga.

The 20-year-old was one of the best central defenders at the U-20 World Cup. He transitioned seamlessly into the U-23 team. He emerged as one of the best defenders in MLS. He helped the Red Bulls to the Supporters’ Shield. And now he’s been called up to the U.S. national team for this month’s World Cup qualifiers.

The MLS playoffs are yet another testament to his meteoric rise: In his most significant and high-pressure professional test to date, he is passing with flying colors.

“Yeah I thought Matt, again, played a big role, made it hard on [Fabian] Espindola, was personal—you could see that,” Red Bulls head coach Jesse Marsch said. “There's been a lot of talk about Matt, and the main thing has been trying to keep Matt focused on what's gotten him here and what's what made him good and what's made him successful. So, that's been the main emphasis, is just keeping the work day, the work week, and his ability to concentrate on, you know, really working hard to get everything.

“And he's earned this chance, there's no doubt. He's played well with the 20s, with the 23s—I thought on both those teams he was the best player in the tournament for each national team—and now, you know, he's had a good season and he deserves a look, that's for sure.”

Red Bulls – Crew series Enticing

Of the four conference semifinals, D.C.-New York was by far the ugliest one to watch. That shouldn’t be the case for the Red Bulls in the next round.

Each team features terrific wingers: Columbus has Ethan Finlay and Justin Meram while New York has Lloyd Sam, Mike Grella, and Gonzalo Veron off the bench. The two sides also boast two of MLS' best center forwards in Bradley Wright-Philips and Kei Kamara. There are plenty of skilled central midfielders to watch as well.

Goalkeepers? Luis Robles and Steve Clark are among the best in the league.

“Yeah, I would think things are going to be tight,” Marsch said. “It might not be as physical because D.C. plays a very physical style, but—and there will probably be more football in the two teams, specifically Columbus. I think that the way that they play and spread the field, and the way that our style kind of contrasts with their style, kind of sets up for a really good series.”

It should be fun.