"I want to apologize to everyone watching out there. We lost to one of the worst teams in the league." So pleaded New York Red Bulls coach Mike Petke, staring into the camera of a post-match interview following a miserable 3-2 loss at Chivas USA.

The Red Bulls came charging out the gate, with a number of good chances in the first half. Fabian Espindola should have had a brace by the 20th minute, but was denied twice by Chivas goalkeeper Dan Kennedy. The Goats got on the board first with Julio Morales beating Robles with a low shot to the near post, but a Tim Cahill header a minute later would level the match at 1-1.

A sloppy shoulder charge in the box by Ibrahim Sekagya gave Chivas the go-ahead goal just before the halftime whistle. It was the seventh penalty NY has given up in 2013; in the whole of the 2012 season, they only conceded a single penalty.

The second half did see the long-awaited debut of Bradley Wright-Phillips, and while the British striker did bring some energy to the field, it wasn't enough to inspire his fellow teammates. With barely any pressure on them, Chivas worked themselves into a rhythm, and Torres found a third goal on a rebound in the 81st minute.

New York was able to pull the match back within one thanks to a bouncing Dax McCarty header six minutes later, but the comeback was not to be. The 3-2 scoreline flattered an RBNY side that looked disinterested and tired. Of particular concern is Thierry Henry, who hasn't registered a shot on goal in over a month. While Henry is providing plenty of service, his lack of finishing means NY has to lean on their other forwards - and with Espindola and Luyindula both wasting chance after chance, that leaves NY in a very bad place.

The only thing in the Red Bulls' favor is that they didn't drop off in the standings, with three of the other top five Eastern Conference teams picking up losses. But what should have been an easy August has turned nearly disastrous, and with the playoff race tightening, Petke's side will need to get hot quickly if they want to hold on to their post-season spot.

The Red Bulls close out August at home next Saturday against a historically bad DC United side. RBNY supporters expect nothing less than a dominant victory - and failure to take full points will only increase the growing calls for a change at the top. No post-match apology in the world would take away the pain of a home loss to this year's United squad.

FULL HIGHLIGHTS

POST-MATCH REACTIONS

Mike Petke on what contributed to the loss: "We didn't finish. Mental mistakes leading to their goals. Lack of creativity in the second half. That sums it up."

Thierry Henry's full and unedited answer on how the team felt about the result: "Bad."

Tim Cahill on his goal: "It's always great to score, but it only means something if you can pull off the draw or the win."

Meanwhile, on Long Island, the Cosmos again found a late stoppage time winner to edge the San Antonio Scorpions 2-1. The Cosmos were outshot 4-3 by the Scorpions, but goals from Diomar Diaz and Henry Lopez were enough to give the Cosmos their second win of the season, improving to 2-1-1. Highlights are below: