HARRISON, N.J. — For 90 minutes, the New York Red Bulls looked like a team possessed. Moving the ball around the pitch at will, the team that D.C. United so mercilessly eliminated from the playoffs in 2012 seemed out for revenge, and it seemed almost certain they’d get it.

Make no mistake: D.C. United was thoroughly outplayed on Saturday afternoon. The statistics are almost comical—New York took 24 shots compared to United’s five, possessed the ball for most of the game, and generally showed more hustle. The game’s imbalance was especially noticeable during a snowy second half in which United saw little of the ball and often parked all 10 outfield players in their own end.

Unfortunately for New York, one United player had other plans. United goalkeeper Bill Hamid made a series of spectacular saves—including an absolute jaw-dropper in second half stoppage time—to preserve the shut-out, and the black and red were able to escape Red Bull Arena with a very, very fortunate draw, much to the chagrin of the 22,022 in attendance. A few thoughts from the match:

The Hero: Hamid. United fans have long known they have one of the best keepers in Major League Soccer, but over the past several months, something funny has happened: Bill has grown up. He seems to have left behind some of the poor decision-making that plagued him during his first two seasons in a United uniform. Aside from occasional game-saving, spectacular saves that the 22-year-old has always made, he’s done something even more impressive this season: he’s been consistent.

“We talk about consistency with him and making sure he’s been as even keel as possible, on and off the field,” United head coach Ben Olsen told The Washington Times’ Thomas Floyd after the match. “He’s making the saves he needs to make, but he’s also pulling one or two out of his hat that are saving us.”

Hamid, once regularly considered for selection to the U.S. Men’s National Team, fell out of favor with U.S. head coach Jurgen Klinsmann after a lukewarm performance during Olympic qualifying, but has recently been back in the picture and was part of the team’s January training camp. Asked whether he uses the possibility of national team service as a motivator, Hamid offered a simple answer: “Of course.”

Honorable Mentions: Dejan Jakovic had a decent game, bouncing back from a performance against Real Salt Lake that was spotty at best. Oh, and the crossbar. United really couldn’t have done it without some help from the woodwork at Red Bull Arena.

The Goat: United’s entire midfield. Chris Pontius and Dwayne De Rosario were largely invisible throughout the entire match—DeRo lacked the flair and pace that’s makes him United’s biggest threat; Pontius was repeatedly shut down by Brandon Barklage and Dax McCarty, who took man-of-the-match honors. The normally dependable tandem of Perry Kitchen and Marcelo Saragosa looked a bit lost, and the Red Bulls took quick advantage of that, cutting a path straight down the middle of the pitch towards goal. It was ugly out there.

The lack of possession in midfield was something Olsen harped on after the match. “We pissed the ball away so many times when we didn’t need to,” he said. “We are missing that in our game right now. We know that, I know that, the players know. We’ll continue to work on it; we’ll continue to be better with the ball.”

Moment of the Match: Barklage’s “saved” header in second half stoppage time. Toss this one in the ever-increasing-in-size bin of clips that scream “GOAL-LINE TECHNOLOGY NOW, PLEASE.” It’s impossible to say, really, whether the entire ball crossed the goal-line, but using the angles that NBC provided on Saturday it sure seems like it may have done just that before Hamid swatted it away. Hamid was adamant when asked if he’d indeed saved the attempt. “It did not go over,” he said. “It was close, but I got there before it went over the line.”

The Rest: Olsen was asked in his post-game press conference whether he thought the team was missing a few pieces that could be picked up in the summer. He answered without hesitation: “We need some things. I like the group we’ve got, but we do need some things.” … The game was a reunion of sorts for young coaches Ben Olsen and Mike Petke, who along with Toronto FC head coach Ryan Nelsen played together on United’s 2004 MLS Cup-winning squad. As I waited to take the team’s pre-game photograph, I noticed Petke approaching Olsen, and the two embraced. “What do we do here, do we kiss?” Petke joked … The United-Red Bulls match was part of MLS’ “Rivalry Week,” which saw most teams in the league take on their traditional rivals. After leaving Harrison, I drove down to PPL Park in Chester, Pa., and took in the Philadelphia Union-New England Revolution game at 5 p.m. Needless to say, after an afternoon spent in Harrison and Chester, I’ll be seeing my respiratory specialist today.

United next return home to face the Columbus Crew on Saturday afternoon at RFK Stadium (3 p.m., NBC Sports Network, Tickets.