After a heartbreaking exit in the US Open Cup earlier this week, FC Cincinnati will shift their focus to the MLS campaign on Saturday as they welcome New York City FC to TQL Stadium.
In their first league fixture in over a month, the Orange and Blue were beaten 3-0 by their state rivals, the Columbus Crew, last Sunday, while the Boys in Blue are now six points behind the playoff line in the Eastern Conference following a 2-0 home loss to Minnesota United.
Match preview
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Perhaps it is fatigue from being involved in so many competitions or some unknown factor, but Cincinnati have looked like a different team in recent weeks, winning just one of their last four matches in all competitions.
At the Hell is Real Derby last Sunday against the Crew, Pat Noonan's men were held off the scoresheet for only the third time in the 2023 regular-season, while it was also the third time that they had lost an MLS encounter by three or more goals this year.
The Orange and Blue have never been held scoreless at home throughout the campaign, netting multiple times in eight of their regular-season encounters at TQL Stadium.
They have 10 matches remaining in the current campaign, with a comfortable seven-point cushion atop the Supporters' Shield standings over St. Louis City, while seven more points is all this team need to ensure themselves a spot in the playoffs.
Cincinnati and the New England Revolution are the only MLS teams still unbeaten at home in 2023, with the Orange and Blue dropping points in only one domestic game at TQL Stadium all season (2-2 draw versus New England).
Since Noonan took charge of this team ahead of the 2022 season, Cincinnati have been setting new club records of all kinds, and if they can win at least seven of their final 10 regular-season affairs and also come up with a pair of draws, the Orange and Blue would eclipse the single-season MLS points record set by the New England Revolution in 2021 (73).
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Another strong performance with plenty of chances created but a lack of finish was the story yet again for NYCFC last Sunday, as they are falling further and further behind in the playoff race.
Nick Cushing's men had 63% of the possession and carried the play for long stretches against Minnesota, but as has been the case with them throughout the campaign, their indecisiveness in front of goal ultimately let them down.
New York have failed to find the back of the net in three of their last four matches in all competitions, and with 26 points from their opening 25 league fixtures, it is their lowest total ever at this stage of an MLS season, two fewer than in 2015.
The Pigeons have avoided defeat in eight of their 14 MLS road matches, emerging victorious only once (1-0 at CF Montreal), while squandering six points when leading in the second half as the visitors this season.
Their 1-0 defeat to the Orange and Blue at the US Open Cup this year was the first time this team had lost a match at TQL Stadium, and the last time they played there in the regular season, fans witnessed a classic offensive showdown with Cincinnati jumping out to a 3-0 lead after a half hour, before New York responded with four goals, but ultimately had to settle for a 4-4 draw.
More often than not in recent memory, the Boys in Blue have left it too late, with just one goal in the opening half of their last six MLS encounters, while their previous three strikes in league play have come in the 75th minute or later.
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Team News
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Matt Miazga was suspended for the Cincinnati fixture versus Columbus, Yerson Mosquera sat out of that clash with a leg issue, as did Dominique Badji, who is dealing with a quad strain, while Stiven Jimenez was sidelined due to a lower leg fracture.
Nick Hagglund was the only player to miss a penalty in their US Open Cup semi-final defeat versus Inter Miami as they were eliminated 5-4 in a shootout, with the match ending in a 3-3 tie after extra time.
Brandon Vazquez has scored in both encounters versus New York City FC this season, while Luciano Acosta has four goal involvements in his last three domestic outings against them, as he, Vazquez and Alvaro Barreal all netted in their 3-1 away victory earlier in the campaign.
Last Sunday, Birk Risa, Monsef Bakrar and Julian Fernandez all made their MLS debuts for the Pigeons, Andres Perea also made his first appearance for NYCFC since being loaned to them from the Philadelphia Union, while Maxi Moralez played the entire 90 minutes in his first game back with the Boys in Blue after returning to New York City from Racing Club.
For the first time since their 1-1 draw against the Portland Timbers in June, Richy Ledezma did not feature for the Pigeons in an MLS contest, while Maxime Chanot missed his first league action since June 21 (2-2 draw at Atlanta United) and Justin Haak sat out of a domestic fixture for the first time since his side lost to Cincinnati at the end of May.
Braian Cufre had the only goal in that encounter for the Boys in Blue, while Maxi Moralez set up three of the four NYCFC goals in that thrilling 4-4 draw at Cincy last season, with Talles Magno also finding the mark on that occasion.
FC Cincinnati possible starting lineup:
Celentano; Hagglund, Miazga, Gaddis; Powell, Moreno, Kubo, Barreal; Acosta; Santos, Vazquez
New York City FC possible starting lineup:
Barraza; Gray, Chanot, Risa, Cufre; Sands, Parks; Ledezma, Rodriguez, Moralez; Bakrar
We say: FC Cincinnati 2-1 New York City FC
Both sides have suffered their share of disappointing results of late, but the Orange and Blue have to be feeling a lot better about their position in the table when compared to the Boys in Blue.
The difference in this one could boil down to quality, and that is something Cincinnati should have a decisive edge in, as the Pigeons have been hesitant and unsure of themselves in the attacking third all year.
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Top tip
Joel Lefevre
