FC Cincinnati visit the Big Apple for a midweek clash against defending MLS Cup Champions New York City FC on Wednesday, Sept. 7 at Citi Field in Queens, New York.
The Orange and Blue will look to keep things rolling Wednesday night after beating Charlotte FC 2-0 at TQL Stadium this past Saturday. FC Cincinnati sit eighth in the Eastern Conference, tied on points (38) with the New England Revolution who currently hold the final playoff spot.
FC CINCINNATI at NEW YORK CITY FC – WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2022 – 8 p.m. ET – CITI FIELD
HOW TO WATCH
Local TV: Star64
Local Stream: fccincinnati.com
Out of Market Stream: ESPN+
Radio: ESPN 1530
Talent: Tom Gelehrter (play-by-play), Kevin McCloskey (analyst), Alex Stec (sideline)
Be sure to follow @FCCincinnati on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for live updates from the game.
HEAD TO THE OFFICIAL WATCH PARTY
Fans are encouraged to attend the Official Watch Party at Varsity Sports Bar & Grill presented by Coors Light starting at 7:30 p.m.
The Official Watch Party will feature:
• Appearance by Gary the Lion
• The FC Cincinnati Street Team with giveaways and activities
• Drinks and Special Food Deals
Fans can also catch the action at one of 14 official Pub Partners located across the region, presented by Coors Light.
ALL-TIME SERIES
New York City FC lead the all-time MLS series over FC Cincinnati, 6-0-1 (4-0-0 at home)
SCOUTING NEW YORK CITY FC (13-10-6, 45 PTS., 4TH EASTERN CONFERENCE)
August was not kind to New York City FC, and September didn’t start much better. NYCFC suffered a 3-0 road loss to the New England Revolution on Sunday and are desperate to get back to winning ways.
A strong first half of the season has kept NYCFC afloat, but it’s been tough sledding of late. Wednesday’s hosts are 1-6-0 since the calendar flipped to August and have conceded multiple goals in all six losses.
The departure of Valentín ‘Taty’ Castellanos has certainly attributed to those struggles. Castellanos left New York for Girona FC on a year-long loan on July 25. Castellanos scored 13 goals in 17 appearances for NYCFC this year. That came shortly after their head coach Ronny Deila left for Standard Liège in the Belgian First Division A.
A return home could provide some relief, as NYCFC have been solid as the hosts this season. City are 8-3-3 at home, tied for the second-most home wins in the Eastern Conference this season.
The Pigeons are unbeaten in three at Citi Field this year, having defeated Toronto FC 5-4 on April 24 and the Chicago Fire on May 22, 1-0. NYCFC also took one point from their matchup with Sporting Kansas City on May 7 in a scoreless draw.
NYCFC’s +13 goal differential is the fourth-best total in the league, trailing only Austin FC, LAFC, and Philadelphia Union.
One constant for the Cityzens and interim head coach Nick Cushing has been their goalkeeper Sean Johnson. The United States international has 13 clean sheets in 29 games this season, tied with Philadelphia’s Andre Blake for the most in MLS this season.
FC CINCINNATI NOTES
FIRST WIN – FC Cincinnati take the field Wednesday night with the chance to pick up their first-ever win against New York City FC. The Orange and Blue haven’t been able to take down the Pigeons since joining the league in 2019. FCC are 0-6-1 against NYCFC but picked up their first point of the series on June 29.
ENCORE – Speaking of that matchup on June 29, the last meeting between the two sides provided plenty of fireworks in a thrilling match for the neutral viewer. FCC jumped out to a 3-0 lead before NYCFC stormed back with three goals in seven minutes to level things going into the break.
The six combined first-half goals are the most in any opening 45 minutes of play this season. Two second-half goals saw the match finish 4-4, the highest goal total in a draw this season.
BATTLE OF THE BRAZILIANS – Brenner and Héber stole the show in Cincinnati earlier this year, and the Brazilians should feature as attacking options for their respective sides on Wednesday. Brenner recorded FCC’s first MLS hat trick, while Héber led New York’s comeback with his first half brace.
Brenner has the chance to score his 10th goal of the season on Wednesday, while Héber has started in City’s last two matches and scored his seventh goal against D.C. United on Aug. 31. He is the NYCFC team leader in goals following Castellanos’ departure.
For Brenner, he seeks to become the second player in club history with double-digit goals in a season, behind Brandon Vazquez’s 16 this season.
PLAYOFF IMPLICATIONS – It’s a big one for both sides as postseason play looms. For FC Cincinnati, it’s about keeping pressure on New England, Columbus and Orlando. Just five points separate fifth place Orlando and eighth place Cincinnati.
A win against NYCFC would see the Orange and Blue jump New England and Columbus in the standings while a draw would be enough to get back above the playoff line.
NYCFC are in real danger of falling out of the top four if they cannot secure three points against Cincinnati on Wednesday. City are just three points clear of Orlando City but will have two more games played after Wednesday night. A win would temporarily move NYCFC above the Red Bulls into third place.
HUMP DAY STATS – FC Cincinnati will play their 20th all-time Wednesday match of MLS play when they visit New York in the midweek. The Orange and Blue are all-time 4-8-7 in hump day matches, but an undefeated 1-0-2 this season. That includes the last time FCC and NYCFC met, on Wednesday, June 29 at TQL Stadium.
NOONAN’S TAKE
Head Coach Pat Noonan on NYCFC
“The results haven't been there, but I can tell you that our group understands the quality of our opponent. When a team's going through a tougher stretch, and you have that quality, you have to be very aware of a team that's hungry to change the results. It's going to be a very difficult game, as we saw from our previous matchup. They have ways to break pressure, to go to goal, they have a lot of different players that can finish plays off. We'll certainly be mindful of their quality and how they can hurt us despite maybe the results not being in their favor recently.”
Fans can place deposits now for 2023 Season Tickets, and current season ticket holders can renew for 2023 now. Anyone with interest in 2023 Season Tickets can place their deposit HERE, or by calling 513-977-KICK, that’s 513-977-5425.
FC Cincinnati's 2022 schedule can be viewed, HERE. Fans can build their custom 3 Match Flex Plan today. Pick any three matches and save on single match ticket pricing with no fees at checkout. Fans can pick the same seats for three games or select different options around TQL Stadium.
Single match tickets to any of FC Cincinnati’s remaining home games are also available now, head to fccincinnati.com/tickets or call 513-977-KICK, to learn more.
FC Cincinnati are playing their fourth season of MLS competition in 2022, and their second playing at TQL Stadium. For up-to-the-minute information about FC Cincinnati, visit the team’s official website at fccincinnati.com, or follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook at @FCCincinnati. Additionally, fans are encouraged to download the team’s official mobile app on the Apple App Store or Google Play for instant access to mobile tickets, team content and match notifications.
