In the final league match before the 2024 Leagues Cup break, FC Cincinnati look to go into the break on a high note in a visit to Red Bull Arena and the New York Red Bulls in Harrison, New Jersey. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET. Fans can watch the game on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV and listen locally on ESPN 1530.
The Orange and Blue have history and victory on their mind, so let's break down this matchup with some key numbers to consider, presented by CTI.
8
FC Cincinnati enter this game looking to be the first club in MLS history to win eight-straight road matches. With a 9-1-1 record in road matches this season, FCC have been the most dominant, road tested club in MLS and with a victory FCC would also enter a tie for seventh most road wins in a season. Of the seven record road seasons though, four happened in the pre-draw MLS era. Only the 2022 CF Montréal’s 11-4-2 record, the 2018 Atlanta United 10-5-2 and 2021 New England Revolution 10-3-4 seasons will have matched the current FCC total.
The 2022 CF Montréal record mentioned above, which collected 35 road points, stands as the modern record in the post-shootout MLS era. With six more road matches this season, FCC would need to collect just eight total points from those matches to equal the record.
3+
Yamil Asad recently became just the sixth player in FC Cincinnati’s MLS history to register a three-match or longer assist streak for his efforts against D.C. United, Inter Miami CF and Charlotte FC. Luciano Acosta owns the longest streak with four-matches (5/11-25, 2024) but also owns four of the six three-match assist streaks in the club's history.
Only Argentine players can stake claim to streaks of that length, as in addition to Acosta’s four and Asad’s first entrance, Álvaro Barreal owns the sixth three-match assist streak for his work in 2022.
140
Yuya Kubo became the most capped FC Cincinnati player ever with his 140th appearance last Saturday night, surpassing the injured Nick Hagglund for the record. In the midst of one of his best seasons not only in MLS but anywhere in the world, Kubo is second on the club with nine goals this season and has already surpassed his previous season totals in goals scored, shots and shots on target. Similarly, with over 1500 minutes played in 2024 league play already, Kubo has surpassed all but his 2021 season with FCC in minutes played with over a third of the season left to play.
120.22
The New York Red Bulls cover ground. That much is clear. With an average of 120.22 Kilometers (74.56 miles) per game as a team, very few out run you like RBNY. That total currently ranks fourth in MLS this season with FC Cincinnati’s 110.57 KM per match (68.705 miles) ranking second last in MLS ahead of only Inter Miami CF. The Red Bulls also lead MLS in sprints per game with 249.
Those totals directly point to the Red Bulls pressing and transition style preferences, as despite these high totals NYRB rank last in MLS in average possession with 45.27 and 25th in MLS with 9061 completed passes from open play.
15
FC Cincinnati are the only team in the league this season to have not conceded a goal in the first 15 minutes of a match this season, and have conceded the fourth fewest road goals despite playing an extra one or two games than the top three teams. The earliest FC Cincinnati has conceded a goal is the 19th minute, and has scored five times in the first 15 minutes of the match themselves. FCC’s most scored range of minutes is the 46 to the 60 minute with 12 and the 76 to 90 minute with nine. The most risky time frame for the FC Cincinnati defense this season is the 16-30 minute with nine goals conceded and the 61-75 minute with seven.
