FC Cincinnati will face New York City FC in the Round of 32 of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday, May 10 at TQL Stadium, with kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.
The game will stream exclusively on CBS Sports Golazo Network, a free 24-hour soccer streaming network that is available on connected TV and mobile devices through the CBS Sports App and Pluto TV, on CBSSports.com, as well as on Paramount+.
Tickets can be purchased at FCCincinnati.com/Tickets or by calling (513) 977-5425 (KICK).
FC CINCINNATI vs NEW YORK CITY FC – WEDNESDAY, MAY 10, 2023 – 7 p.m. ET – TQL STADIUM
**HOW TO WATCH**
Stream: CBS Sports Golazo Network (Free)
Broadcast Talent: Josh Eastern (play-by-play), Devon Kerr (analyst)
ALL-TIME SERIES
Wednesday’s matchup will be the 8th all-time meeting between FCC and NYCFC, the first in U.S. Open Cup competition. NYCFC are 6-0-2 against the Orange and Blue, with both of last year’s matchups ending in draws.
The Pigeons are the only Eastern Conference side which FCC have never defeated, and the eight games played against New York City are the most against any opponent without a win.
SCOUTING NEW YORK CITY FC (4-4-3, 15 PTS, 5TH EASTERN CONFERENCE)
New York City FC enter Wednesday night’s U.S. Open Cup match fifth in the Eastern Conference table with a Hudson River Derby looming this Saturday at Red Bull Arena. NYCFC have lost back-to-back league matches against Toronto FC and Charlotte FC.
The season has brought with it a bag of mixed results for NYCFC, as the Boys in Blue have been strong at home (4-0-1) while struggling on the road (0-4-2). The Pigeons have scored 10 goals playing at Yankee Stadium and Citi Field but have managed just four goals away from the Big Apple.
The current schedule has not complemented NYCFC’s road woes. Wednesday marks the third of five-consecutive road games across all competitions for the Pigeons. The club is in the stretch of over a month between scheduled home games (April 22 vs. Dallas, May 27 vs. Philadelphia).
It has been nearly a year since star forward Valentin “Taty” Castellanos left New York City for Girona FC of La Liga, and NYCFC are still adapting to life after Taty. Gabriel Pereira, Santiago Rodríguez and Talles Magno have shouldered the attacking load early this season, with the trio combining for 10 of New York’s 14 goals.
NYCFC have been decent in defense, allowing 14 goals while conceding multiple goals just three times this year. Longtime defender Maxime Chanot has been a pillar of consistency in the backline for NYCFC, playing nine of 11 games for the club this year. He has made 155 appearances since 2016 and helping the club lift its first MLS Cup in 2021.
Nick Cushing leads NYCFC in his first full season in charge. Cushing took over on an interim basis in 2022 and helped lead the Pigeons to a third-place finish in the east and a trip to the Eastern Conference Final, where they would fall to Philadelphia Union.
NYCFC enters the U.S. Open Cup this round as one of the top-ranked teams from the 2022 Eastern Conference standings not playing in Concacaf Champions League.
FC CINCINNATI NOTES
FC CINCINNATI IN THE CUP – With no U.S. Open Cups held in 2020 and 2021, Wednesday’s Round of 32 matchup will mark the sixth U.S. Open Cup fixture for FCC since joining MLS in 2019.
In both 2019 and 2022, FC Cincinnati won their first game – in 2019 against Louisville City FC and last season against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC – but fell in their second game of the competition. The Orange and Blue’s journey in the tournament ended in the Round of 32 last season, a 5-1 loss away to the New England Revolution.
BACK TO THE CUP – FC Cincinnati return to Open Cup competition just two weeks after defeating Louisville City FC in the Third Round, 1-0, on April 26.
The 2018 FC Cincinnati squad was the last Orange and Blue squad to win their first two games in the competition, but the then-USL team entered one round earlier than it has since joining Major League Soccer. The 2018 team had their journey in the tournament end in the Round of 32, falling on penalties to Minnesota United FC.
100 APPEARANCES – FC Cincinnati forward Brandon Vazquez enters Wednesday night with 99 appearances across all competitions for FC Cincinnati. Should he play against NYCFC, he’ll become just the second player in club history to reach 100 games played for FC Cincinnati (Nick Hagglund).
For FCC, Vazquez has played in 94 regular season games, both MLS Cup Playoff games in 2022, two U.S. Open Cup games and in the 2022 Leagues Cup Showcase against Chivas.
THE HISTORY IN THE CUP – Including USL, the Orange and Blue are 10-4-2 all-time in the U.S. Open Cup. Most notably, FC Cincinnati made a semifinal run in 2017, gaining national acclaim. The run included a win against the Columbus Crew in the Fourth Round, a penalty shootout win against the Chicago Fire in the Round of 16, and another victory over Miami FC in the Quarterfinals. FCC fell after extra time to the New York Red Bulls in the Cup Semifinals in front of a sellout crowd of 33,250 fans at Nippert Stadium.
OPEN CUP PEDIGREE – FC Cincinnati’s current squad has had prior success in the U.S. Open Cup. Head Coach Pat Noonan won three U.S. Open Cups in his playing career (New England Revolution, 2007; Seattle Sounders, 2010 and 2011) while Alec Kann and Brandon Vazquez were part of Atlanta United’s cup run in 2019. Vazquez scored four goals in the competition that season.
HOME COOKING – FC Cincinnati have posted an MLS-best 6-0-0 record at home this season. Combined with the win over Louisville City in the U.S. Open Cup Third Round, and TQL Stadium has become a fortress for the Orange and Blue this season, with FCC holding an unblemished 7-0-0 record.
After defeating D.C. United this past Saturday, Wednesday marks the second of four-consecutive home games for FC Cincinnati (May 17 vs. CF Montréal, May 20 vs. Columbus Crew). If the Orange and Blue advance past NYCFC into the Round of 16, the potential for a fifth-straight home game is alive. The next round of the competition will take place May 23-24, with opponents and locations to be determined based on this Thursday’s draw.
