FC Cincinnati are looking to get back into the win column and continue improving as it continues its march to the MLS Cup Playoffs. After a defeat to LAFC over the weekend FCC players felt they beat themselves with a slow start and inconsistent play, The Orange and Blue can not only set the record straight this Wednesday with a win at NYCFC, but also equal an MLS record for road victories in the modern era.
FC Cincinnati enters the trip to NYCFC with 10 road wins, a club record but one shy of CF Montreal's 2022 modern MLS record of 11 wins in a season on the road. While the total record is higher, the 11 wins stand as the high watermark of road wins after the MLS shootout era.
"We try to have a similar approach to each game of how we want to attack and how we want to defend. Of course, there's a variation to that each game, but I think you've seen from our group that we don't sit back too often when we go on the road," Pat Noonan said Monday in his pre-match press conference. "It's brought us success. It's certainly brought us challenges when you play different types of opponents on their home field. But I think we also adapt in game to how things are playing out."
The weekend match against LAFC left FC Cincinnati feeling frustrated. While they were the better team for most of the match, a slow start leading to 35 minutes of poor play left them needing to come back, and LAFC's talent meant that they were able to see out the match. Now, after reviewing that match and moving forward, FCC is looking to put together a full performance.
"(LAFC) had a really strong game, and I think it was something that we struggled with early on and then made good adjustments, and played a really good last 65 minutes. But it's got to be 90, 90 plus minutes to win games," Noonan said of the match with NYCFC. So going into New York City (who is coming off a) very strong win, the last time we played them in the League's Cup, I was talking about the consistency of their group and performances, and it's kind of been trending that way for a long time. So I think they're in a good way right now."
With a win, FC Cincinnati could clinch their spot in the Concacaf Champions Cup for 2025. However, they would need some help from other results to secure that spot outright. Regardless, FC Cincinnati is looking to get its groove back, and that starts Wednesday night.
Also of note, the Major League Baseball playoffs are introducing scheduling conflicts, so NYCFC will be hosting this match at Red Bull Arena. The traditional homes at Yankee Stadium and Citi Field are in use for the Yankees and Mets playoff pushes.
FC Cincinnati vs NYCFC – Wednesday, October 2, 2024 – 7:30 p.m. ET – Red Bull Arena
HOW TO WATCH
Stream: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV
TV Talent (English, Apple): Steve Cangialosi (PxP), Danny Higginbotham (Analyst)
TV Talent (Spanish, Apple): Bruno Vain (PXP), Andres Angulla (Analysis)
Radio (English): ESPN 1530
Radio (Spanish): La Mega 97.7 FM
Radio Talent (English): Tom Gelehrter (PXP), Ray Gaddis (Analyst)
Radio Talent: (Spanish): Gustavo Luques (PXP), José Romero (Analyst)
Against NYCFC
The matchup with NYCFC marks the third time FC Cincinnati has met them this season, and FC Cincinnati has earned points in each of the previous two meetings. In the league match at TQL Stadium, Luciano Acosta scored to give FC Cincinnati a 1-0 victory on Saturday, March 23. Acosta has, in his FCC career, scored five goals and four assists against NYCFC.
The Leagues Cup match at TQL Stadium, though, was full of energy and interest as FCC stormed back to earn a 4-2 victory after being down 2-0 with just over ten minutes to play. Yuya Kubo, Pavel Bucha, Yamil Asad and Sergio Santos all contributed to the group stage victory.
FC Cincinnati entered this match undefeated in the last seven games with NYCFC and has won each of the previous five across all competitions.
FC CINCINNATI NOTES
Five Straight – FC Cincinnati have won five-straight matches against New York City FC across all competitions, originating with the 2023 U.S. Open Cup Round of 32 victory last May. Cincinnati have outscored NYCFC 12-3 over that five-match stretch. Prior to the current win streak, FCC were winless in eight matches against the Pigeons.
Well that was, like, crazy – In FC Cincinnati’s 4-2 win over NYCFC in Leagues Cup 2024, FCC scored four times from the 79th minute on, erasing a 2-0 deficit. FCC won for the first time in club history when trailing by two+ goals, and all four FCC goals came from substitutes, the first time in Leagues Cup history that occurred. In MLS play, no team has ever received four goals from four different substitutes.
Home away from Home - FC Cincinnati have played more road matches at Red Bull Arena than any other road venue, by far. Wednesday will be FCC’s 15th all-time visit to Red Bull Arena and the 13th in FCC’s MLS era (since 2019). Wednesday will be Cincy’s third match against NYCFC at Red Bull Arena. FCC’s next most-visited venue is Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium (7 matches).
Wednesday Winners – Under Pat Noonan, FCC have fared well on Wednesday. Under Noonan since 2022, across all competitions, FCC are 14-4-5 in 23 matches falling on a Wednesday (5-2-0 this season).
Lucho Lucho Lucho – FC Cincinnati Luciano ‘Lucho’ Acosta has matched his 2023 club record of 31 single-season goal contributions. He also has matched his 2022 club record of 19 assists. Acosta holds the top-three single-season goal contribution tallies in FCC history. Only five totals in club history have been more than 20, and Acosta holds three of them. Acosta is the only player in club history to have 10+ assists in a season, and he has in each of his four seasons with FCC.
Scouting NYCFC (12-11-8, 44 points, 5th in Eastern Conference, W-T-L-T-L)
NYCFC are coming off of a colossal victory over the weekend where they took down their in city rivals New York Red Bulls in one of the most memorable playings of the Hudson River Derby. The 5-1 victory will go down in history as one of the biggest wins in the series and starts to level the score dating back to a Red Bulls 7-0 victory then named "The Red Wedding."
The newer of the two New York clubs have had a turbulent season but have found some level of consistency as Head Coach Nick Cushing continues to put his mark on the team. Prior to the 5-1 result last Saturday, NYCFC had gone nine matches without a victory and have only registered three wins in their previous 15. But with the win Saturday, NYCFC have vaulted themselves into fifth in the Eastern Conference and with three games to play are just two points out of earning home field advantage in Round One of the MLS Cup Playoffs.
"I think the last time we played them in the Leagues Cup, I was talking about the consistency of their group and performances, and it's kind of been trending that way for a long time," Pat Noonan said of NYCFC this week. "So I think they're in a good way right now. I think that performance and result (against NYRB) kind of shows you know just where they're at."
Alonso Martínez leads NYCFC with 14 goals and three assists this season, and scored twice in that Hudson River Derby victory. The 25-year-old Costa Rican center-forward is in his second season with the club. He appeared in three matches in 2023 and played 30 minutes in total. Behind him in the teams goal scoring lead is Santiago Rodríguez with nine goals and Hannes Wolf with five.
In net for NYCFC is Matt Freese, who for a long time this season was a standout candidate for Goalkeeper of the Year. Freese has been in MLS for six seasons now and came over from Philadelphia Union in 2023, where he appeared in 10 games. This is his first full season as a first-choice keeper.
On defense for NYCFC, the core starts in the midfield, where Keaton Parks and James Sands step in as CDMs in the 4-2-3-1 formation they play most often. Both Americans, Sands was developed from within the NYCFC Academy, and Parks joined the club after a stint in Portugal as a youngster. Behind them are Kevin O'Toole (a player who was brought up in the Red Bulls Academy) and Brazilian center-back Thiago Martins.
In the match with the Red Bulls, NYCFC switched up their formation to a more standard 4-4-2, sparking intrigue as to what Cushing may do for this match.
