“Happy that the guys could find a goal and see the game out, but in a lot of ways what you expect,” head coach Pat Noonan mentioned afterwards. “New York made it very difficult on us and the ability to move the ball quickly was challenged tonight for both teams with just the dry surface, which is unfortunate just because of the temperatures, not be able to wet the field. But that’s part of it. You have to deal with the elements, and I thought the guys adjusted in a good way.”

The Orange & Blue (1-0-0, 3 pts.) entered the main MLS season after a 4-1 win on the road against FC Motagua in Honduras that started their CONCACAF Champions Cup quest. In that game, Pavel Bucha’s brace pushed FCC to victory, while debutantes Evander and Denkey scored their first official goals for Cincinnati.

FCC came into the coldest match ever at TQL Stadium with a surprising list of injuries. Matt Miazga (leg), Nick Hagglund (ankle), and Alec Kann (hip) are still working towards full health after their season-ending injuries from last year. Meanwhile, Luca Orellano, Sergio Santos, and Dado Valenzuela were all shelved due to leg issues.

Despite their loss to the LA Galaxy in the 2024 MLS Cup final, the Red Bulls (0-0-1, 0 pts.) came into their debut match without any CCC participation. However, New York also had their laundry list of injury concerns. New U22 transfer Wictor Bogacz sat with a back issue, while multiple bench players were rested due to knee injuries.

First Half

Cincinnati dictated much of the possession in the first 20 minutes, while New York opted to wait for chances. The Orange & Blue’s first legitimate chance came in the 16th minute when Denkey’s shot atop the box clanked off the post, only for the offside flag to fly.

As play slowed during the next 20 minutes, the Red Bulls had their own chances clang off the woodwork. During a scrum in the Cincinnati box, forward Lewis Morgan attempted a shot while on his side in the 41st minute, only for the FCC defense to clog the goal. Emil Forsberg’s follow-up hit off the top of the goal, but play was flagged due to Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting playing in an offside position.

The first half ended with Cincinnati’s best chance in extra time. Evander and DeAndre Yedlin played a give-and-go in the box, only for the final shot from Pavel Bucha to be blocked. The whistle at halftime kept the score blank.

Possession was primarily split between both teams, but New York enjoyed more of the attack with six shots to Cincinnati’s one. Neither team had an effort on goal that counted.

Second Half

The firm halftime reset gave the Orange & Blue solid opportunities. Both Yuya Kubo and DeAndre Yedlin had opportunities on the same pass from Lukas Engel in the 56th minute, only to be a step behind in their sliding efforts.

The deciding goal came from distance in the 70th minute. Yedlin played a long pass from midfield to the New York box, allowing Denkey to beat his defender. The new Togolese striker played the high bounce and popped a header past goalkeeper Carlos Coronel for the game’s first and only goal.

“It was that time and space, and we locked eyes,” Yedlin said about the goal after the match. “[Denkey] is obviously quick and good at getting behind. We took that opportunity, especially on the dry field, and it makes it tough on the defense. Fortunately, it was a goal, and we got the win.”

Noonan admitted he missed the lead-up to the goal but spoke well on Denkey’s play. “You can see there are moments where, even when [Kevin’s] up against a physical center back or he has a midfielder closing in on him or he’s getting doubled, he has great footwork to get out of that pressure. That’s the difference of a transition moment and us defending or us moving up into the attack.

“There’s a lot more out there for him, and that’s pretty scary because he’s got a couple goals in the last two games, and he’s done a lot of good things. He knows he can be better, and that’s a good thing.”

Much of the second half saw Cincinnati locking into a solid defensive mode, but the team almost put the game away completely minutes later. In the 78th minute, Denkey fed a streaking Engel in the box, but the Danish left back’s shot just missed the left post.

New York’s best effort to equalize came off a Choupo-Moting shot outside the box in the 82nd minute, only for Roman Celentano to easily handle the attempt. Celentano made three saves for his 29th clean sheet of his MLS career.

“It wasn’t the easiest condition out there,” Celentano mentioned after the match. “Cold and dry field, all of these excuses—we could have come out here flat-footed, but I think we had a great mindset coming in, thinking that we needed to battle for these balls and find a way to get a goal, and these guys did. I’m proud of the group, and I think we have a lot to prove this year.”

FC Cincinnati quickly turn their attention towards finishing the home leg for the CONCACAF Champions Cup matchup against FC Motagua this Wednesday. The Red Bulls head back to New Jersey for their home opener against Nashville SC on Saturday.

Match #1

FC Cincinnati vs. New York Red Bulls
TQL Stadium, Cincinnati, OH
Attendance: 22,747
Result: FC Cincinnati 1, New York Red Bulls 0

BOX SCORE

FC Cincinnati Starting XI (5-2-2-1):

Roman Celentano (GK); DeAndre Yedlin, Gilberto Flores (Alvas Powel 85′), Miles Robinson (c), Teenage Hadebe, Lukas Engel; Pavel Bucha (Stefan Chirila 90+5′), Obinna Nwobodo; Evander (Brian Anunga 72′); Yuya Kubo (Corey Baird 72′); Kevin Denkey.

Bench: Evan Louro, Bret Halsey, Noah Adnan, Stiven Jimenez.

New York Red Bulls Starting XI (4-4-2):

Carlos Coronel (GK); Noah Elie, Sean Nealis, Alexander Hack (Julain Hall 79′), Omar Valencia; Cameron Harper, Daniel Edelman (Wikelman Carmona 84′), Peter Stroud (Felipe Carballo 79′), Emil Forsberg (c); Eric Maxim Choup-Moting, Lewis Morgan.

Bench: Anthony Macucci, Dylan Nealis, Dennis Gjengaar, Tim Parker, Mohammed Sofo, Raheem Edwards.

Scoring Summary:

CIN – Kevin Denkey 70′ (Yedlin)

Discipline:

YC – Alexander Hack 59′ (RBNY, foul)
YC – Obinna Nwobodo 61’ (CIN, foul)
YC – Corey Baird 88′ (CIN, poor sportsmanship)

Next up:

vs. FC Motagua, 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, February 26th, TQL Stadium (Cincinnati, OH)

The post Cincinnati Chilly: FC Cincinnati fends off New York Red Bulls in cold home opener, 1-0 appeared first on Cincinnati Soccer Talk.

The match opened with FCC on the front foot. A handful of chances from Yamil Asad and DeAndre Yedlin didn’t materialize into goals for the home faithful. It became apparent after the third or fourth goal kick that goalkeeper Matt Freese and NYCFC were perfectly content will draining the clock and absorbing pressure.

Luca Orellano was keen on providing that pressure. In the 27th minute, Chidozie Awaziem was able to hold possession in the attacking third. Awaziem successfully pushed the ball to Luciano Acosta and Acosta found Orellano in space. Orellano uncorked a left-footed shot at the top near corner but just missed. Moments later Orellano found himself alone in the 18-yard box. A deflected Acosta pass squeaked its way to Orellano, and he ripped a shot at the frame, but a miraculous Freese diving save prevented the goal. Orellano wasn’t done, however. In the dying moments of the first half, Orellano picked up a pass at midfield and was off to the races. Dipping and spinning around three NYCFC defenders in a remarkable run, Orellano released a shot, but Thiago Martins was able to narrowly block it.

Compared to the first half, the second half was much tamer in the goal-scoring opportunities. But there was a considerable increase in the physicality of the match. A pair of bone-crunching tackles by NYCFC muddied up the affair. The stagnation perpetuated the nil-nil scoreline.

The first round of MLS playoffs requires matches to bypass extra time and head straight into penalties. FCC went first and the net the keepers would be defending was in front of the Bailey. After three rounds of PKs, FCC would be the first to blink. Pavel Bucha’s attempt was low and to his right but Freese was able to read the shot all the way. Fast forward to the fifth round and Roman Celentano came up big with a diving save on Martins’ attempt. In sudden death, both clubs failed to convert on several attempts, but NYCFC had the breakthrough. Mitja Ilenic struck the ball to his right and Celentano guessed wrong.

With the 0-0 (6-5 pk) victory, NYCFC moves on to the second round of the MLS Playoffs. FCC is eliminated and their 2024 campaign ends. Pat Noonan offered his thoughts on the season in the post-match press conference.

“A strong group, some good characters,” Noonan continued. “I told them they were fun to work with. Sometimes, really good teams and good people don’t always get rewarded with what you think you might deserve, and we came up short. But with how this season played out and the amount that was thrown at them at different times, everybody just kind of put their head down and worked, and that’s what I appreciate from them. It was a really strong group, and you could feel it because of the silence and knowing that this is probably the last moment we’ll all be together again. So, they were a really professional group the entire year, despite the ups and the downs in the form and injuries and things off the field. That could have looked a lot different than us being in the position we were in today, based on what was thrown at them. They were fantastic.”

SHOOTOUT SUMMARY (KICK TAKEN)

CIN: Luciano Acosta (1) – Scored

Yamil Asad (3) – Scored
Sergio Santos (5) – Scored
Pavel Bucha (7) – Saved
Kevin Kelsy (9) – Scored
Miles Robinson (11) – Scored
Gerardo Valenzuela (13) – Saved
Chidozie Awaziem (15) – Missed
Teenage Hadebe (17) – Saved

NYC: Santiago Rodríguez (2) – Scored
Monsef Bakrar (4) – Scored
Keaton Parks (6) – Scored
James Sands (8) – Scored
Thiago Martins (10) – Saved
Justin Haak (12) – Scored
Kevin O’Toole (14) – Saved
Andrés Perea (16) – Missed

Mitja Ilenic (18) – Scored

LINEUPS

CIN: Roman Celentano, Yamil Asad, Teenage Hadebe, Miles Robinson, Chidozie Awaziem, DeAndre Yedlin (Alvas Powell 84’), Pavel Bucha, Obinna Nwobodo (Gerardo Valenzuela 90’), Luciano Acosta (C), Luca Orellano (Kevin Kelsy 84’), Yuya Kubo (Sergio Santos 71’)

Substitutes not used: Evan Louro, Niko Gioacchini, Corey Baird, Bret Halsey, Sergio Santos, Ian Murphy

NYC: Matt Freese, Thiago Martins (C), Kevin O’Toole, Mitja Ilenic, Justin Haak, James Sands, Maxi Moralez, Keaton Parks, Santiago Rodríguez, Alonso Martínez (Monsef Bakrar 85’), Hannes Wolf (Andrés Perea 75’)

Substitutes not used: Luis Barraza, Birk Risa, Jovan Mijatović,, Julián Fernández, Strahinja Tanasijević, Christian McFarlane, Agustin Ojeda

The post FCC disappoints as NYCFC knocks club out of 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs appeared first on Cincinnati Soccer Talk.

The game started slightly in favor of FCC. The team did a decent job early holding onto the ball and trying to get in behind the NYCFC defense. That included a couple of great chances from Luca Orellano that he maybe should have finished.

However, NYCFC’s aggressiveness and need to win Game 2 started to become more and more evident. That began in around the 10th minute, as the FCC backline started to get challenged more, needing to make more and more plays.

That culminated during the 23rd minute, as Mitja Ilenic was carrying the ball on the right wing. He played a perfect cutback pass to the six-yard area where Alonso Martinez ran in and slotted it in for a 1-0 NYCFC lead.

Even after that goal, NYCFC continued to put major pressure on the FCC backline. There were multiple times where FCC was saved from a second first-half goal thanks to either luck or a tremendous play.

That wouldn’t last long, though, as NYCFC extended its lead in the 43rd minute. A set piece saw NYCFC get the ball in the middle of the park about 40 yards out. The ball was lofted to the left of the goal where it was headed near the goal on the right where Thiago Martins was left wide open, easily placing it into the net for the 2-0 lead, which was how the first half ended.

The second half started with a glorious chance for FCC to climb a goal back because Matthew Freese came way off his line to kick the ball. He failed to clear it and Yuya Kubo picked it up outside the box with an open net in his sights. However, Kubo was unable to get a shot on frame.

The FCC had a tremendous amount of trouble generating anything concrete in terms of changes, even as the match started to get into its twilight. Luca Orellano and Lucho Acosta just had very disappointing matches offensively, with them unable to really do anything.

That was until Orellano picked the ball up at the top of the box, nutmegged a defender and then rocketed the ball into the top corner to cut the deficit in half.

Around 10 minutes after Orellano’s first goal was when FCC pushed all the pieces onto the table to try and win Game 2. The biggest chance saw Teenage Hadebe get the ball literally at the six-yard spot and Freese scrambling. All Hadebe needed to do was pass it into the corner, but he unfortunately hit it straight at the goalkeeper, as the chance was gone. Alvas Powell also had a couple of good chances, but as usual with him, he failed to do anything of note with them.

FCC wasn’t able to do anything with the chances, and at the end of stoppage time, the referee took it into his own hands to end the game. Chidozie Awaziem just pulled Santi Rodriguez down, causing an NYCFC penalty to be given. He walked up and easily put it in, clinching the game for NYCFC.

First Round, Match #2 – New York City FC vs FC Cincinnati
Citi Field, Queens, New York City, New York
Result: New York City FC 2, FC Cincinnati 1

BOX SCORE

FC Cincinnati Starting XI (3-4-1-2):

Roman Celentano, Yamil Asad (Sergio Santos 57’), Teenage Hadebe, Miles Robinson, Chidozie Awaziem, DeAndre Yedlin (Alvas Powell 76’), Obinna Nwobodo, Pavel Bucha (Kevin Kelsy 76’), Luciano Acosta (C), Luca Orellano, Yuya Kubo

Bench: Evan Louro, Niko Gioacchini, Corey Baird, Bret Halsey, Gerardo Valenzuela, Ian Murphy

NYCFC Starting XI (4-3-3):

Scoring Summary:

Discipline:
CIN – Pavel Bucha 43’
NYC – Santiago Rodríguez 52’
CIN – DeAndre Yedlin 56’
CIN – Yuya Kubo 68’
NYC – James Sands 72’

Next up:
vs New York City FC, 4:00 p.m., Saturday, November 9, TQL Stadium (Cincinnati, Ohio)

The post FC Cincinnati falls 3-1 to NYCFC in Game 2 of first round appeared first on Cincinnati Soccer Talk.

FCC started its journey toward the 2024 MLS Cup with a physical 1-0 victory over New York City FC. Despite commanding much of the control offensively, the only goal they needed was a Yamil Asad header in the second half to claim the win. The Orange & Blue now have the opportunity to close out the series with a win at Citi Field.

It may have taken the entire regular season, but FCC (#3 seed in the East) finally reproduced a Starting XI from their previous match. Head coach Pat Noonan ran out the same lineup that produced a 2-1 victory on Decision Day in Philadelphia over a week ago. The only small difference on the bench was Bret Halsey in place of Malik Pinto, but no injuries other than the season-enders were on the injury report.

In their previous matches against Cincinnati, New York City (#6 seed) went with 3-4-3 and 4-2-3-1 formations. However, this time around, the Cityzens settled on a 4-3-3 formation with some small adjustments. Midfielder Andres Perea and defender Birk Risa replaced Maxi Moralez and Justin Haak in the starting lineup. Despite the replacements, the full roster from NYCFC’s 2-0 loss at Montreal still remained in place.

The first half played similar to the first meeting in March at TQL Stadium, as neither could break the deadlock after 45 minutes. Cincinnati’s best opportunity may have come in the 27th minute when Miles Robinson had a header off of a corner kick saved by goalkeeper Matt Freese. New York City managed just two first-half shots. The only attempt on frame was a soft save off an Alonso Martinez shot in the 32nd minute.

In the first half, Cincinnati enjoyed advantages in possession (54/46), shots (8/2), and shots on goal (2/1), but nothing to show for it.

The lone change at halftime was a substitution for DeAndre Yedlin, who appeared to aggravate his back on a play in the 30th minute.

Cincinnati opted to remain aggressive in the second half, taking 14 more shots in the next frame. The breakthrough finally came in the 51st minute, when Yuya Kubo took a tight-angle shot from Freese’s left. While the shot ran parallel to the goal, Lucho Acosta grabbed possession along the line and fired a cross into the box. Asad’s quick-reflex header redirected the pass into the net to provide all of the offense the Orange & Blue would need.

“We knew that (NYCFC) were a team that liked to play short passes and then attack with a lot of good players with good technique,” Asad observed after the match. “But we are a good team. We have good players too and we were playing at home. We knew that if we got a winner now, we were going to be in a good position.”

Asad’s goal is his sixth goal across all competitions and his first in the MLS Cup Playoffs. Even better, Asad was able to score in front of his parents, who flew in from Argentina to watch this and future matches. “I don’t know how long (they’ll be here), but they’re going to stay.”

Much of the second half required a defensive stand by the back line of Teenage Hadebe, Miles Robinson, and Chidozie Awaziem. The trio held NYCFC to six shots total and only two on target.

Noonan appreciated that performance from his back line.

“All three of them, on the ball decision making, the defensive reading of the game, and when they’re in isolation, like I said, against good creative attackers to win these tackles and these duels the way they did, to defend the box the way they did, it was a very strong defensive performance from our center backs,” he said.

The final minutes did produce some drama, as Acosta caught a foul from defender Tayvon Gray in extra time. Referee Sergil Boiko deemed the elbow to be a red card, and barring any outside actions, Gray will miss the next match.

Acosta was pleased with the result, but aware that NYCFC still can retool and adjust for the next match.

“I think they’re going to make the changes they need to come out,” Acosta mentioned through an interpreter, “but we’re going to compete and go with the same mentality that we came in with today. We don’t want this to go to a Game 3, so that’s the mentality.”

The win puts Cincinnati in charge of the series, but results will deem if Monday’s match was the last home match of the season. It marks a below-average home record where FCC once felt dominant, only their eighth home win in 18 MLS matches this season.

It also means that Cincinnati will have to find their first win in New York/New Jersey this season. The last away match against NYCFC was a 3-2 loss at Red Bull Arena one month ago.

The second match of this Best-of-3 series will take place at Citi Field on Saturday.

First Round, Match #1 – FC Cincinnati vs. New York City FC
TQL Stadium, Cincinnati, OH
Attendance: 21,413
Result: FC Cincinnati 1, New York City FC 0

BOX SCORE

FC Cincinnati Starting XI (3-4-1-2):

Roman Celentano (GK); Chidozie Awaziem, Miles Robinson, Teenage Hadebe; DeAndre Yedlin (Alvas Powell 46′), Obinna Nwobodo, Pavel Bucha, Yamil Asad (Corey Baird 90+4′); Luciano Acosta (c); Luca Orellano (Sergio Santos 80′), Yuya Kubo (Nicholas Gioacchini 89′).

Bench: Evan Louro, Bret Halsey, Kevin Kelsy, Gerardo Valenzuela, Ian Murphy.

NYCFC Starting XI (4-3-3):

Matt Freese (GK); Tayvon Gray, Thiago Martins (c), Birk Risa, Kevin O’Toole; Keaton Parks (Julian Fernandez 76′), Andres Perea (Jovan Mijatovic 87′), James Sands; Hannes Wolf (Mai Moralez 62′), Alonso Martinez (Monsef Bakrar 87′), Santiago Rodriguez.

Bench: Luis Barraza, Strahinja Tanasijevic, Agustin Ojeda, Mitja Ilenic, Justin Haak.

Scoring Summary:

CIN – Yamil Asad 51′ (Acosta)

Discipline:
YC – Luca Orellano 28’ (CIN, poor sportsmanship)
YC – James Sands 41′ (NYC, foul)
YC – Maxi Moralez 82′ (NYC, dissent)
YC – Yamil Asad 89′ (CIN, time wasting)
RC – Tayvon Gray 90+9′ (NYC, foul)

Next up:
at New York City FC, 5:00 p.m., Saturday, November 2nd, Citi Field (New York, NY)

The post Steadied Ship: FC Cincinnati takes postseason edge against NYCFC with 1-0 victory appeared first on Cincinnati Soccer Talk.

Such may be the case for typical teams, but after a few years of underperforming, this year’s FC Cincinnati 2 team may have finally figured it out.

FC Cincinnati 2 (16-4-8, 54 pts.) wrapped up the top seed in the MLS Next Pro postseason with a solid 3-1 win over Orlando City B (11-9-8, 46 pts.) to finish the regular season. Dado Valenzuela’s cameo appearance and second hat trick of the MLSNP season captured all three points for FCC2.

FC Cincinnati 2 started the day needing a result better than Philadelphia Union II to get the #1 seed for the MLS Next Pro playoffs. A Union win guaranteed Philly a #1 seed, but anything less left the door open for Cincinnati to sneak away with the best record in the Eastern Conference.

While the Baby Lions had already qualified for the postseason, Orlando City’s B team needed a win to keep themselves at the #3 seed. A loss would open up the door for a road match in the quarterfinals.

FCC2 had a small glitch in the system in the sense that they were missing two vital players due to red cards picked up in a 3-1 loss to NYCFC2. Midfielder Stiven Jimenez and forward Guiherme Santos served their suspensions.

However, Valenzuela, Malik Pinto and London Aghedo, filling in from the FCC first team, each slotted into the starting lineup.

Orlando City B countered with multiple call-downs from the first team as well, notably forward Jack Lynn. The Orlando striker was the 2023 MLS Next Pro MVP with 19 goals in 27 matches last season.

The first ten minutes were the Dado Valenzuela Show. In the second minute, Dado controlled a pass from Stefan Chirila, stagger-stepped into the box, and fired a curler past Jose Carlos Mercado to make it 1-0.

The lead doubled in the 11th minute. Amir Daley’s shot on frame was palmed out by Mercado, only for Dado to control the rebound and bag his brace. His fifth goal in three MLSNP matches made it 2-0, a score that would last until the break.

While Orlando led in possession at the half (58-42), FCC2 dominated in shots (10-7) and shots on net (5-1). The only challenge for Paul Walters was a palm-stinging save in the third minute.

The second half started with more pressure from an Orlando side with more to lose. The team finally broke through with an individual effort in the 53rd minute. Alexander Freeman dribbled past the defense and redirected his shot past Walters to halve the lead at 2-1.

However, good fortune and offensive play ended the comeback. Valenzuela punctuated his day with a third goal in the 63rd minute, slotting a shot under Mercado’s reach to make it 3-1.

Valenzuela has played only three matches in MLSNP this season, but he produced two hat tricks in the process.

Head coach Tyrone Marshall was glad to see the first-team players excel in a solid system. ”

We said it prior that when you have the guys come from the first team and join the group, you should see the difference why you’re a first team player compared to the second team, and you could see it tonight,” he said.

FCC2’s win puts them atop the East, as Philadelphia lost 2-1 to Chicago II on the road. Orlando falls to fifth place, forcing the Young Lions to play on the road.

Marshall spoke glowingly of the team’s development over the season.

“You could see evidence at the end, we tried to make sure that we maintained possession, in playing from one side to the other, finding the #10 underneath, the little combinations,” Marshall said. “When we’re in our structure, it looks really, really good.”

The team now gets the opportunity to pick their opponent from the bottom four seeds (Orlando City B, NYCFC II, Columbus Crew 2, Crown Legacy FC). The playoff season starts on the weekend of October 18th-20th.

Match #28 – FC Cincinnati 2 vs. Orlando City B
TQL Stadium, Cincinnati, OH
Attendance: 5,177
Result: FC Cincinnati 2 3, Orlando City B 1

BOX SCORE

FC Cincinnati 2 Starting XI (3-5-2):

Paul Walters (GK); Gael Gibert, Brian Schaefer, London Aghedo (Juan Machado 84′); Amir Daley, Nico Benalcazar, Malik Pinto (Alejandro Guido 84′), Gerardo Valenzuela (Peter Mangione 76′), Jesus Castellano (Yair Ramos 61′); Kenji Mboma Dem (Ben Stitz 84′), Stefan Chirila.

Bench: Hunter Morse, Nicholas Samways, Connor Stout, Yeiner Valoyes.

Orlando City B Starting XI (4-2-3-1):

Jose Carlos Mercado (GK); Alexander Freeman, Nabi Kibunguchy, Thomas Williams, Luca Petrasso; Jeorgio Kocevski, Jorge Almaguer (C) (Colin Guske 79′); Shak Mohammed (Favian Loyola 66′), Jhon Solis (Justin Ellis 84′), Yutaro Tsukada (Yeiler Valencia 65′); Jack Lynn (Zakaria Taifi 79′).

Bench: Manu Cocca, Shawn Platts, Juan Rojas Chirinos.

Scoring Summary:

CIN – Gerardo Valenzuela 2′ (Chirila)
CIN – Gerardo Valenzuela 11′ (unassisted)
OCB – Alexander Freeman 53′ (Mohammed)
CIN – Gerardo Valenzuela 63′ (Mboma Dem)

Discipline:

YC – Jack Lynn 26’ (OCB, dissent)
YC – Stefan Chirila 52′ (CIN, foul)
YC – Malik Pinto 57′ (CIN, foul)
YC – Nabi Kibunguchy 65′ (OCB, foul)

Next up:
MLS Next Pro Playoffs, Quarterfinals, Weekend of October 18th-20th.

The post FC Cincinnati 2 wraps up #1 seed with 3-1 win over Orlando City B appeared first on Cincinnati Soccer Talk.

The half began in an ominous fashion, as FCC defensive midfielder Obinna Nwobodo horribly gave the ball away trying to play it to a center back. Luckily for FCC, in that moment, NYCFC was unable to capitalize on its opportunity.

FCC got a couple of looks at goal following this mistake by Nwobodo, but really wasn’t able to challenge NYCFC in goal.

Unfortunately for the visiting team, NYCFC was able to do so. In the 16th minute, Maxi Moralez had the ball in the middle of the park about 25 yards out. He passed it to Mitja Ilenic on the right side, and he dribbled a bit forward before shooting it through multiple FCC and NYCFC players. The ball was able to sneak its way past every single one of them and nestle in the back corner for the first goal of the contest.

Following the goal, NYCFC ratcheted up the pressure, and nearly had another had it not been for the gloves of Roman Celentano.

FCC had some real trouble getting going on the attack in the middle part of this half, especially. The team was able to start doing a little bit more later, but not much.

The two biggest moments of the half for FCC were when Lucho Acosta started to once again favor that ankle, worrying the FCC faithful that his injury might have significantly returned.

The other moment happened in the 43rd minute, as DeAndre Yedlin crossed the ball beautifully to a waiting Kevin Kelsy who only needed to first-time it near the six-yard spot. Instead, Kelsy decided to take his time, after which the chance was gone.

The second half began in favor of NYCFC but less pronounced than it seemed in the first. It seemed like FCC wasn’t pressuring the ball as much.

However, that was until around the 55-minute mark. FCC turned up the heat around that point and really looked like it was trying to equalize.

NYCFC, though, was the team to get the next goal. The “home” team got the ball as FCC was on the attack, after which Santi Rodriguez passed to Alonso Martinez, who left no doubt on the finish.

Emotions instantly shifted, however, because FCC won a free kick after a high bounce hit an NYCFC defender’s arm. No review was needed and Lucho Acosta stepped up and hit an incredible penalty to cut the lead in half.

Then, almost immediately after that, NYCFC looked to have maybe been fouled in the FCC box. The referee didn’t call it at first and allowed play to continue. After FCC finished its attack, the referee went to the monitor for an unnecessarily long time and gave NYCFC a penalty, which Santi Rodriguez scored easily, due to Celentano diving the wrong way, again.

As the match neared stoppage time, the referee stopped play for an extended period of time due to specific chants by the NYCFC supporters toward Acosta. Both captains and coaches were gathered together to discuss the situation and play resumed.

With around half of the stoppage time gone, a short corner kick was played to Acosta, who just crossed it into the box, and Corey Baird was able to get on the end of it and score for the 3-2 score.

FCC had a couple more chances but was unable to finish any of them, leaving the scoreline a deflating 3-2.

Match #32 – New York City FC vs FC Cincinnati
Red Bull Arena, Harrison, New Jersey
Result: New York City FC 3, FC Cincinnati 2

BOX SCORE

FC Cincinnati Starting XI:

New York City FC Starting XI:

Scoring Summary:

NYC – Mitja Ilenic (Moralez) 16’,
NYC – Alonso Martínez (Rodríguez) 65’
CIN – Luciano Acosta (PK) 69’
NYC – Santiago Rodríguez (PK) 75′
CIN – , Corey Baird 90’+6

Discipline:
CIN – Kevin Kelsy 34’
NYC – James Sands 41’
NYC – Thiago Martins 66’
NYC – Andres Perea 84’
NYC – Tayvon Gray 90’+1
NYC – Hannes Wolf 90’+14

Next up:
vs Orlando City SC, 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 5, TQL Stadium (Cincinnati, Ohio)

The post FCC picks up second straight loss, loses to NYCFC 3-2 appeared first on Cincinnati Soccer Talk.

THE OPPOSITION

NYCFC has just one victory in their last seven matches. That victory came over the weekend when they smashed the Red Bulls 5-1 in the Hudson River Derby. In that span, their form has been chaotic; 13 goals scored and 15 conceded. 

One of NYCFC’s biggest strengths is their deep offense. They have multiple game-changers within the squad, like Santi Rodriguez, Hannes Wolf and Alonso Martinez. Young attackers like Julian Fernandez, Agustin Ojeda and Jovan Mijatovic are also behind them.

According to Transfermarkt, their squad is tied for the youngest average age at 23.9. Since their team is filled with younger and unproven players, they don’t have a clear weakness. Their defense is one of their weaknesses, but they haven’t conceded near the most amount of goals in the league—nor have they scored the most.

They are a young team with depth that is led by Nick Cushing who wants to prioritize an exciting, attacking style of play. That has led them far above the playoff line, but there is still more to be done.

Their objective in these last three games is to at least secure fourth place. But with a victory over this Cincinnati side, they could conceivably make a run for third.

THE ORANGE & BLUE

FC Cincinnati now knows the limits of what they can do in the regular season—third place being their likely finish. The Shield has been all but secured by Miami and Columbus is almost assured at least second place with a game in hand. But there will still be hope if they can win this match. 

They fell 2-1 at home to LAFC. David Martinez took the lead in the first half and held it before Luca Orellano equalized with another wonder strike. However, Denis Bouanga scored the near-post-winning goal. FCC dominated possession and had more shots, but in the end just weren’t able to capitalize.

Injuries have been the main issue within the squad. It completely destroyed the defense and impacted other areas of the pitch as well, most notably with Lucho Acosta. A lack of consistent form has also followed from this—making every match a question mark.

Chidozie Awaziem subbed off early with an injury, but according to Tom Bogert it is “not believed to be long term.” Laurel Pfahler did state that he would be unavailable for this match, though. 

They’ll also have to deal with the inevitable rotation that comes with playing a match just a few days prior. Kubo and Santos also left the match with slight issues, so it’s unknown how much they’ll be involved. 

That rotation will make this one just as uncertain as the rest. A win would be a huge result, boosting confidence heading into these last two matches and the postseason. 

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Alonso Martinez is NYCFC’s player to watch. He has 14 goals and three assists on the season, including a brace in their last match that saw him win the league’s Player of the Matchday. It wasn’t expected, but he has become their best attacker. 

Luca Orellano is unsurprisingly Cincinnati’s player to watch. With three goals and an assist in his last three matches, he has continued to prove himself as a spectacular player in this team. He is the best player on this squad not named Lucho Acosta.

WHAT TO EXPECT

This match has high stakes for being in the regular season. Both sides are trying to finish with a high seeding in the East. They have both been inconsistent lately and are looking to find momentum in the postseason.

You can expect a fast-paced match. NYCFC looks to be a mostly attacking-focused team, while Cincinnati will try to absorb the opposition and build from there.

The post FC Cincinnati faces NYCFC in a high-stakes matchup appeared first on Cincinnati Soccer Talk.

FC Cincinnati fell to LAFC 2-1, in a pre-playoff marquis matchup before a soaked TQL Stadium crowd. While Cincinnati were able to ride another Luca Orellano banger of a goal to knot the score, a second-half Denis Bouanga finish was the difference maker. Cincinnati ends their slate of Western Conference matchups with five wins and one loss.

The Orange & Blue (17-5-9, 56 pts.) returned to TQL Stadium after a productive road trip, winning 2-1 in Minnesota and drawing 2-2 in Nashville. Meanwhile, LAFC (15-7-8, 52 pts.) were mired in a five-match regular-season winless streak, despite a 3-1 win over Sporting Kansas City in Wednesday’s U.S. Open Cup final.

FC Cincinnati approached this interconference matchup with much of its current roster available. Pavel Bucha returned to the starting lineup after celebrating the birth of his first child over the past weekend. DeAndre Yedlin also started at right back in place of Yamil Asad. Once again, the 3-4-1-2 lineup was unique to this season, but fortified with a healthy squad.

LAFC finished their final match of the season across the Mississippi with several of their starters seated. The Black & Gold had to play 120 minutes to put away SKC in the USOC final. Forward Denis Bouanga, striker Olivier Giroud, and midfielder Timothy Tillman started on the bench, while midfielder Eduard Atuesta and defender Aaron Long sat out.

Newly-returned former MVP Carlos Vela has yet to appear for the team, despite the announcement of his resigning.

From the opening whistle, LAFC played like the team with fresher legs. The Black & Gold had eight attempts in the Cincinnati defending end before Cincinnati’s first shot in the 29th minute. However, goalkeeper Roman Celentano made three saves in the first 20 minutes to keep the score knotted.

The breakthrough came off a rough injury to Chidozie Awaziem. The Nigerian defender stretched to break up a play, only to injure his leg in the process. Awaziem managed to limp off for a substitution, only for LAFC to take advantage of the adjustment. David Martinez evaded the left edge of the back line to fire a shot past Celentano in the 34th minute. The Venezuelan’s fourth goal of the season made it 1-0.

The Orange & Blue did put some pressure on LAFC goalkeeper Hugo Lloris in the final ten minutes of the first half, but produced no shots on net. The closest opportunity came in the 40th minute, but Nicholas Gioacchini was unable to keep his header on frame from a corner kick set-piece.

The second half opened with Cincinnati playing with more urgency and heat on their passes. Alvas Powell, Awaziem’s substitute in the first half, provided an unexpected spark with two immediate attempts on goal to start the second half. Gioacchini was swapped for Sergio Santos at the break who also injected his pace and line penetrating ability into the attack.

Orellano’s equalizing goal in the 61st minute was again a bright highlight in the Argentinian’s playbook. After receiving a short pass off a corner kick, Orellano powered a shot on frame that grazed Kei Kamara’s head along the way. Luca’s tenth goal in MLS play and his fifth in five matches leveled the score.

While LAFC did lose grip on possession in the second half, it still had its all-stars coming off the bench. In the 73rd minute, Denis Bouanga challenged Ian Murphy one-on-one in the box and fired a shot past Celentano’s left. Bouanga’s 18th of the season made it 2-1.

While FC Cincinnati dominated control in the second half and had some dangerous set-piece challenges to search for an equalizer, the final whistle doomed the Orange & Blue to their sixth home defeat of the season. Cincinnati is now in third place, a point behind Columbus in the standings with three matches left to play in the regular season.

Head coach Pat Noonan was not satisfied with how the match started, but saw a path to success later on in the match. “Disappointing result that I think stemmed from a poor start in the game. Having said that, there was enough out there for us to find another goal. I think we let up a pretty soft second goal, from the beginning of the play and how they’re able to get down the flank. A couple naive plays that lead to that second goal, and that’s disappointing. But we’ll move on.”

“We came into this game knowing (LAFC) were a great team,” Orellano commented through his interpreter. “But we know we’re a great team as well, and you know, today the result wasn’t in our favor.”

While there was no update following the match, adding to FCC’s injury theme for 2024, Sergio Santos went down in extra time. Santos collided heads with Illie Sanchez and appeared to have momentarily lost consciousness. Should Santos and Awaziem’s injuries prove more serious, FCC will have to play a congested week with less depth than hoped.

The final stretch in October forces FC Cincinnati to seek points against three teams fighting for playoff position. The Orange & Blue travel to the Garden State to play NYCFC Wednesday night on the Red Bulls’ home soil. LAFC returns home to face St. Louis City SC at home on Wednesday. Cincinnati will then wrap up their 2024 regular season home slate on Saturday night vs. Orlando City and Cincinnati’s own Kyle Smith.

Match #31 – FC Cincinnati vs. Los Angeles FC
TQL Stadium, Cincinnati, OH
Attendance: 24,728
Result: FC Cincinnati 1, Los Angeles FC 2

BOX SCORE

FC Cincinnati Starting XI (3-4-1-2):

Roman Celentano (GK); Miles Robinson, Chidozie Awaziem (Alvas Powell 34′), Ian Murphy; DeAndre Yedlin (Yamil Asad 74′), Obinna Nwobodo (Gerardo Valenzuela 83′), Pavel Bucha, Luca Orellano; Luciano Acosta (c); Nicholas Gioacchini (Sergio Santos 46′, Corey Baird 90+6′), Yuya Kubo (Kevin Kelsy 74′).

Bench: Evan Louro, Teenage Hadebe, Malik Pinto.

LAFC Starting XI (3-4-3):

Hugo Lloris (GK); Sergi Palencia, Maxime Chanot (Marlon Santos 72′), Eddie Segura; Cristian Olivera (Ryan Hollingshead 65′), Ilie Sanchez (c), Lewis O’Brien, Omar Campos; David Martinez (Denis Bouanga 46′), Kei Kamara (Olivier Giroud 65′), Mateusz Bogusz (Timothy Tillman 65′).

Bench: Thomas Hasal, Erik Duenas, Nathan Ordaz, Diego Rosales.

Scoring Summary:

LAFC – David Martinez 34′ (O’Brien)
CIN – Luca Orellano 61′ (Acosta)
LAFC – Denis Bouanga 73′ (Giroud)

Discipline:
YC – Maxime Chanot 5’ (LAFC, foul)
YC – Sergi Palencia 29′ (LAFC, foul)
YC – Marlon Santos 82′ (LAFC, foul)
YC – Hugo Lloris 90+9′ (LAFC, time wasting)

Next up:
at New York City FC, 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, October 2nd, Red Bull Arena (Harrison, NJ)

The post FC Cincinnati fade against LAFC’s star power in 2-1 home defeat appeared first on Cincinnati Soccer Talk.

The beginning of the match was a nightmare for FCC. Hany Mukhtar sprung the attack and then saw a cross come into the middle of the box. Taylor Washington got the touch that then allowed Surridge to shoot and put it easily past Roman Celentano for the opening goal in only the fourth minute.

Just when it looked like the game might begin to turn into exactly what Nashville wanted, FCC picked up the ball in transition. It ended up going to Orellano on the right wing, after which he passed it to Yamil Asad, who decided to leave it for Lucho Acosta. Acosta shot it from the top of the box and it kissed the left post and went in for the equalizing goal in just the ninth minute.

Following the early barrage of goals, there was a period of time when both sides looked to possess the ball and attack in numbers.

However, that was over soon enough as the set-piece woes continued in the 26th minute. Nashville had a corner kick and Surridge found himself being marked by Sergio Santos. He found the ball and headed it into the back of the net.

Following Nashville’s second goal, it seemed like they were about to get a third, but the finish from Jonathan Perez wasn’t up to snuff.

Then, FCC looked to have tied it up for the second time in the first half. Niko Gioacchini scored what should have been the tying goal, but an FCC player was called offside for some reason. Despite that, and despite multiple replays not really showing a clear offside call, the referee was not called to the monitor to view the play again, meaning FCC was stripped of a goal it should have had.

The second half almost began exactly as the first did, because Hany Mukhtar scored a goal that might have effectively ended the match. However, this time Nashville was on the receiving end of an offside call, as Surridge impacted the play while being in an offside position.

Then almost immediately after that call, Gioacchini was fouled at the top of the box, and the only question was whether Acosta or Orellano would take it. Orellano was the one to step up to the spot in the 52nd minute and curled it perfectly into the top-left corner to beat Joe Willis.

The remainder of the match saw both sides look to try and get that game-winner, but neither of them was able to get it. Nashville had a couple of outstanding chances, including one where Mukhtar was in on goal, but Celentano was able to remain big and not allow him the room to shoot.

Match #30 – Nashville SC vs FC Cincinnati
Geodis Park, Nashville, Tennessee
Attendance: 29,976
Result: FC Cincinnati 2, Nashville SC 2

BOX SCORE

FC Cincinnati Starting XI:

Roman Celentano, Yamil Asad (DeAndre Yedlin 56’), Ian Murphy (Teenage Hadebe 86’), Miles Robinson, Chidozie Awaziem, Luca Orellano, Yuya Kubo, Obinna Nwobodo, Luciano Acosta (C), Sergio Santos (Kevin Kelsy 67’), Niko Gioacchini (Gerardo Valenzuela 87’)

Bench: Evan Louro, Alvas Powell, Corey Baird, Kipp Keller, Malik Pinto

Nashville SC Starting XI:

Joe Willis, Daniel Lovitz, Josh Bauer, Taylor Washington (Brent Kallman 87’), Walker Zimmerman (C), Julian Gaines (Shaq Moore 87’), Patrick Yazbek (Anibal Godoy 72’), Jonathan Pérez (Teal Bunbury 62’), Brian Anunga (Alex Muyl 72’), Hany Mukhtar, Sam Surridge

Bench: Elliot Panicco, Amar Sejdic, Forster Ajago, Sean Davis

Scoring Summary:

NSH – Sam Surridge (Washington, Pérez) 5’
CIN – Luciano Acosta (Orellano, Santos) 9′
NSH – Sam Surridge (Mukhtar) 25’
CIN – Luca Orellano 52’

Discipline:
CIN – Chidozie Awaziem 19’
NSH – Sam Surridge 41’
CIN – Ian Murphy 74’
NSH – Anibal Godoy 75’
CIN – DeAndre Yedlin 79’
NSH – Daniel Lovitz 90’

Next up:
vs Los Angeles FC, 7:30 p.m., Saturday, September 28, TQL Stadium (Cincinnati, Ohio)

The post FCC salvages away point at Nashville SC appeared first on Cincinnati Soccer Talk.

THE OPPOSITION

Since the hiring of former USMNT assistant and interim manager B.J. Callaghan, the Coyotes have had a mostly balanced record. They’ve won twice out of his six matches in charge, with one draw and three losses.

Their previous match was a 1-0 win over the Chicago Fire, their second in a row. It saw an early goal by Sam Surridge and a defensive display to ward off any responses. Despite being outshot and having a sliver of possession, it was another promising performance under their new manager.

The Coyotes’ biggest strength is their defense. Walker Zimmerman, Jack Maher, Lukas MacNaughton and Josh Bauer have led them to a respectable 44 goals conceded in 29 games. It is respectable because out of all the bottom half teams in this conference, they have conceded the second least goals—only Atlanta themselves have let in less.

Ironically enough, the offense is their biggest weakness. They have scored the least amount of goals in the Eastern Conference, with 29 in 29 games. Hany Mukhtar hasn’t performed as phenomenal as before and Sam Surridge hasn’t always played as a striker like previously expected. That is their only attacking firepower since Tyler Boyd’s season-ending injury.

Their style will ideally embody that of the USMNT’s style in their brief time under Callaghan. Many commented on how it was pleasing to watch and more attacking-minded than Berhalterball. The result, however, is that they’ve been outshot in four of his six matches in charge and haven’t usually dominated possession.

Nonetheless, they seem to have caught form, and there is no better time to do so than now. How they perform in this stretch run will decide whether or not they make the playoffs for a fifth-straight season.

THE ORANGE & BLUE

The Orange & Blue played to a mostly convincing 2-1 result on Wednesday against Minnesota United. They dominated in the first half with goals by Yuya Kubo and Luca Orellano and defended for the second half against everyone in their opponent’s offense. It was a far cry from the 7-1 loss they suffered there in 2019.

The disappointing loss to Miami looks less like a massive slip-up and more like a wake-up call. After the strong performances put forth against Columbus and Minnesota, the Orange & Blue look ready for the last six matches of the season. Noonan has once again instilled confidence in this team.

The attack has been connected, with Kevin Kelsy, Kubo, and Orellano consistently putting together impressive performances. It won’t be long before Lucho returns to form and Niko Gioacchini becomes accustomed to the team. 

Their away form has been impeccable. They are the only club in MLS to have ten road wins—the only other total that is closest is Miami’s nine. They are just a few points away from breaking the record for most away points in a league season.

All of these make them the expected winner of this match, but it will be tough. Both sides are very familiar with one another, but they have lost seven out of 15 matches against the Coyotes. One could argue that they are a favorable opponent for the Coyotes, as their last match against them was a 2-0 upset at home.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Hany Mukhtar is unsurprisingly Nashville’s player to watch. In the Callaghan era, he will still be expected to be their phenom as he was since arriving. He has scored a goal and an assist in his past two matches, proving that he can still make a difference in their pivotal last few matches. He also still has yet to score a goal against Cincinnati, so he is more than due. 

Yuya Kubo is Cincinnati’s player to watch. This season he has netted 11 goals and an assist, making it his most productive for the club thus far. It was his goal and assist three days ago in Minnesota that gave them the victory. He has become an offensive piece for Noonan that is capable of both link-up play and finishing, and that will be useful in stretch matches like this one.

WHAT TO EXPECT

It is likely that Cincinnati will win this match. For one, they are objectively the better team, and for two, they have become much more accustomed to away matches than home matches. It will be an upset if they lose.

But that isn’t to say that Nashville would go down without a fight. There is animosity between the two clubs and their fanbases, due to their storied past as members of the USL. Every match between these two has been a tough battle. 

You can expect a good result for Cincinnati if things go as anticipated, but it will be the usual match against a familiar foe. The head-to-head record is 3-5-7, with many matches ending in a draw.

It is yet to be seen how, or if, these two sides rotate their squads. Having to play three matches in the span of a week can force rotations, so it is possible that some will be made.

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