FC Cincinnati 2 travel to New York City Wednesday evening to take on New York City FC II in a midweek matchup at Icahn Stadium at 5 p.m. ET. The match will air live on OneFootball platforms and on MLSNEXTPro.com.
FC CINCINNATI 2 at NEW YORK CITY FC II – WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19, 2026 – 5 P.M. ET – ICAHN STADIUM
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FC Cincinnati 2/Matchup Notes
The matchup – The season series is up for grabs Wednesday night as the Orange and Blue and the Pigeons each have wins through the prior two meetings of the year.
Cheikhou Niang scored his first goal for the club in the first meeting in April, a 1-0 win for FCC 2 at home. Niang has five goals this season and has scored in two of his last three appearances.
The Pigeons responded in the second match, earning a 2-0 win on a rainy night at Belson Stadium in May.
Have a year, Stef – Stefan Chirila scored his fifth career brace Sunday night against CT United FC. Chirila’s first half strikes saw the forward match his single-season high for goals scored with nine (2025). Chirila has matched that total in four less matches, 463 fewer minutes played and with just 47 shots – compared to 65 a season ago.
Chirila is three goal contributions shy of setting a single season high (9G, 5A; 2025).
Scouting New York City FC II
Record: 9-8-4 (33 points)
Standings: 10th Eastern Conference
Last Three: 4-2 loss at Columbus Crew 2 | 3-0 win vs. Orlando City B | 1-1 draw – SOW – vs. Philadelphia Union II
Head Coach: Matt Pilkington
Leading Scorer: 8 – Cooper Flax
The playoff race in the Eastern Conference is starting to heat up, and New York City FC II find themselves right in the thick of the action. The Pigeons currently sit just two points behind Orlando City B for the eighth spot in the standings with seven matches to play. New York is coming off a 4-2 loss against Columbus Crew 2.
Cooper Flax leads the charge for the Pigeons offensively leading, or tied for a team lead, in every statistical category. Flax holds a team high for goals (8), shots (40) and key passes (20) and is tied for assists (3) and shots on goal (13). Flax has registered four or more shots in three consecutive matches and has a goal or assist in two straight.
In front of Flax on the forward line is Sebastiano Musu. Musu trails only Flax for a team high in goals scored with five and has two assists to his name. Musu tallied two goals and an assist in the Pigeon’s 4-1 win against CT United FC to cap the club’s June schedule but has appeared for New York in just one match since.
New York will host the Orange and Blue at a somewhat unfamiliar home venue in Icahn Stadium on Randall’s Island in Manhattan Wednesday night. The Pigeons have played just two matches at the venue after spending four and a half seasons at Belson Stadium, and have split the pari of results with a win and a loss.
