The home funk continued Sunday with a 2-0 defeat to previously winless New York City FC before an announced 18,004. Although United (4-2-2) remains atop MLS’s Eastern Conference, the failure to secure points at home again could prove costly in the long run.

“It’s very disappointing,” captain Wayne Rooney said. “I don’t think we deserved anything out of the game the way we played.”

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United was downright dull, unable to solve defensive puzzles or sustain an attacking rhythm. The dynamic duo of Rooney and Luciano Acosta fell silent.

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The most exciting moments were Acosta’s late bicycle kick and the MLS debut of Griffin Yow, a 16-year-old attacker from Clifton, Va., who entered in second-half stoppage time.

Even in the closing moments, when you would expect the home team to make a furious push, United was quiet.

United Coach Ben Olsen said New York City (1-1-5) was “just sharper in all facets of the game — in possession, out of possession, transition, the pulse, the bite, their desperation, their urgency. They were just better.”

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Alexandru Mitrita scored late in the first half and Brazilian forward Heber connected early in the second half as United suffered its second dud on national TV this month.

“We were a little off,” goalkeeper Bill Hamid said. “We’re working hard. Just right now it’s not happening.”

It was happening at home late last year, when United went 7-0-1 down the stretch, and early this season, when D.C. earned convincing victories against reigning champion Atlanta and Real Salt Lake. Since then, United has manufactured few opportunities in dropping eight of the available nine points against league-best Los Angeles FC (a 4-0 outcome), Montreal (0-0) and struggling NYCFC.

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Six weeks after getting blanked by NYCFC in a 0-0 deadlock at Yankee Stadium, United posted three routine shots on target and was shut out for the fourth time in eight outings.

Opponents have figured out how to slow United: Limit Acosta’s space, pressure the ball and prevent Rooney from gaining possession in dangerous spots.

Olsen said Acosta "is not at his best right now. Teams are doing a good job on him, as well. ... Now it’s about making the right decision, finding the next pocket, working that extra bit to find the game. Because everyone circles him, right?

“Everyone knows he and Wayne are such a huge part of our attack. They obviously have to push and get there, but we also have to support them around the field so we don’t rely too heavily on them.”

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Rooney also has noticed the tactical challenges.

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“It’s up to us maybe to come up with new ideas and break teams down and get more on the ball,” he said, “because I don’t think either one of us [had] the ball enough today to build a connection.”

After a successful formation change last week at Colorado, Olsen returned to the four-defender, five-midfielder arrangement that has carried his team since last summer.

Chris Durkin retained a place in defensive midfield as Russell Canouse sat out with a minor injury. Paul Arriola, a natural midfielder, played on one corner of the back line, and Leonardo Jara returned from a shoulder injury.

United, though, seemed out of sorts from the start, lacking rhythm in the attack and chasing the visitors, who identified space on the counterattack and generated several good looks in the first 20 minutes.

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“Defensively we need to be better,” center back Steve Birnbaum said. “They could have had a couple more on us.”

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United’s best chance of the half was Rooney’s header, set up marvelously by Acosta, that streaked over the crossbar.

New York City took a deserved lead when Heber worked the left side of the box and supplied Mitrita for a 13-yard shot that appeared to take a slight deflection before beating Hamid to the far corner.

The damage could have been worse, but in stoppage time, after Jara conceded an unnecessary foul tracking Anton Tinnerholm, Maxi Moralez stung a penalty kick off the right post.

Early in the second half, a moment after the left post thwarted Moralez’s bid, New York City extended the lead. Ronald Matarrita floated a delicious ball over the defense to Heber, who tagged a rasping one-timer under Hamid from an angle.

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“It hasn’t been great the last three games at home," Olsen said. "We’ve got to keep in mind we did win last week. We also have to understand — and not be too dramatic about the moment — we’ve got some injuries, and we’ve got to get through this period.”

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Notes: D.C. will visit Columbus on Wednesday and Minnesota next Sunday. … In a pregame ceremony, the University of Maryland men’s team was honored for winning the 2018 NCAA championship. Coach Sasho Cirovski kicked out the ceremonial first ball. ...

Loudoun United, D.C.'s new second-division team, won for the first time after two defeats and two draws, defeating New York Red Bulls II, 3-1, on goals by Orlando Sinclair, Andrew Lubahn and Kyle Murphy in Montclair, N.J.