A second half Yamil Asad goal sank NYCFC in their opening playoff game against FC Cincinnati, 1-0 at TQL Stadium on Monday night. The loss puts City on the back foot as they will now need to respond on Saturday at Citi Field in order to avoid a first-round elimination at the hands of an Cincinnati team that found its legs against what was considered a far more effective offense in City.
Most of the first half was deadlocked between both teams. They battled for positioning but neither side found much with regards to clear chances at goal. A conservative roster by Nick Cushing saw Andres Perea start in the midfield over Maxi Moralez. It was a more that saw City unable to create the dynamic offense that they’ve shown in recent weeks, leading into the playoffs.
The second half is where things chances as Cincinnati took a more aggressive stance. Head coach Pat Noonan pushed forward and found the game’s opening goal in the 51st minute when former MLS MVP Luciano Acosta found a ball in a tight spot and curled a cross for Asad to score the game’s only goal. From there Cincinnati continued to push a stunned City team but were unable to find the second goal to make the night easier for the home team.
City did have a late push but it wasn’t much. Santiago Rodriguez missed an effort in stoppage time and Alonso Martinez minutes earlier had a potential penalty waved off. Matters were made worse when Tayvon Gray was given a red card, leaving him unable to play in the next fixture. The result means that NYCFC is on the brink of elimination after qualifying for the playoffs for the first time since 2022. The loss is also the second in a row in all competitions.
The scene will now chance to Citi Field where City will look to avoid a sweep. Cincinnati knows that the opposition will have to push for the win, putting Saturday’s home team in a tough spot but one that the club has responded to throughout the 2024 season.
STARTING XI:
New York City FC: Freese; Gray, Martins, Risa, O’Toole, Parks (76′ Fernandez), Perea (87′ Mijatovic), Sands, Wolf (62′ Moralez), Martinez (87′ Bakrar), Rodriguez
FC Cincinnati: Celentano; Awaziem, Robinson, Hadebe, Yedlin (46′ Powell), Bucha, Nwobodo, Asad (90′ Baird), Acosta, Orellano (80′ Santos), Kubo (89′ Gioacchini)
SCORING SUMMARY:
51′ (FC Cincinnati) Yamil Asad (1) assisted by Luciano Acosta
DISCIPLINE:
29′ (FC Cincinnati) Luca Orellano – YELLOW CARD
41′ (NYCFC) James Sands – YELLOW CARD
82′ (NYCFC) Maxi Moralez – YELLOW CARD
89′ (FC Cincinnati) Yamil Assad – YELLOW CARD
90′ (NYCFC) Tayvon Gray – RED CARD
photo by Jordan Bank