FC Cincinnati return home for the first of four consecutive matches at TQL Stadium beginning Saturday night against New York Red Bulls. Kickoff for Noche Latina, a special evening of Hispanic heritage programming, is set for 7:30 p.m. The Orange and Blue and Red Bulls meet for the second and final time this season, as the teams played to a scoreless draw back in early August.
NOCHE LATINA
FC Cincinnati celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month with Noche Latina on Saturday. Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15-October 15) is an annual celebration of the history and culture of the U.S. Latinx and Hispanic communities. A portion of the match will be presented in Spanish, and the first 20,000 fans will receive a Rally Towel courtesy of Mercy Health.
Before the game, fans can enjoy Hispanic food trucks, music, drink specials and more from 4-8 p.m. at Washington Park. On the Carl and Martha Linder Plaza from 5:30-7:15 p.m., DJ Prymetime will play a special playlist created by FCC player Luciano Acosta in addition to beer specials, soccer bingo and a fan photo booth. At Mercy Health Plaza from 5:30-7:15, a no-cost COVID Vaccine Clinic will take place. The first 50 fans to get the vax will receive two tickets to an upcoming FCC match and be entered to win an FC Cincinnati gift basket.
HOW TO WATCH:
Local TV: Star64
Local Stream: fccincinnati.com
Out of Market: ESPN+
Radio: Fox Sports AM 1360
Talent: Tom Gelehrter (play-by-play), Kevin McCloskey (analyst), Alex Stec (sideline)
Be sure to follow @FCCincinnati on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for live updates from the match.
SCOUTING NEW YORK RED BULLS (8-11-7 – 31 pts – 11th, Eastern Conference)
Unbeaten in the team’s last four matches, the Red Bulls have gone 2-0-2 over that stretch including tying Philadelphia Union, 1-1, Wednesday at Red Bull Arena.
Patryk Klimala leads RBNY with seven goals, but it is Omir Fernandez who has been the key during New York’s recent run. He has scored three goals over the four match unbeaten streak, including the lone New York goal and equalizer Wednesday against Philadelphia. The defense for the Red Bulls has been strong, as in the month of September, New York only conceded five goals in six games.
One noticeable absence Saturday for RBNY will be Kyle Duncan. The dominant defender will serve a one match suspension due to yellow card accumulation.
STORYLINES TO WATCH
MARSHALL LOOKS TO THE HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE – Interim head coach Tyrone Marshall will manage his first game with the Orange and Blue in Cincinnati. Marshall’s objective is to bring energy, both into the locker room and into the stands at TQL Stadium. Wednesday he said, “[I’m] going to try to see if I can change the attitude of the boys in the locker room. Try to see if we can bring back some more energy, the fun in playing football again. And see if we can translate that on the pitch and give our fans at home something to cheer for, because I’ve watched some games at home and seeing the Cincinnati fan base, we need to energize those fans. For me, that is my main objective.”
CLUB TIES –Florian Valot is set to face off against New York, a team he made 42 appearances, including 33 starts, scoring five goals and adding nine assists with from 2018-21. His lengthy run with the organization started with his arrival to the club’s USL Championship affiliate New York Red Bulls II in 2016. In addition, Chris Duvall began his career with RBNY, while former FC Cincinnati players Andrew Gutman and Frankie Amaya now reside with the Red Bulls.
FAMILIAR FOE – Saturday will be the seventh all-time meeting between New York and FC Cincinnati, which is tied for the second-most played fixture for the Orange and Blue since joining Major League Soccer (Columbus, 8; Atlanta, 7). However, despite that, Saturday will be just the second MLS visit for the Red Bulls to the Queen City. The first came May 25, 2019, a 2-0 victory for the visitors at Nippert Stadium. RBNY is 3-8-2 on the road this season.
