For the sixth time this season, FC Cincinnati and New York City Football Club will face off and this time the season is on the line.
The Orange and Blue and NYCFC enter Game 3 of the MLS Cup Playoffs Round One series with a split series, each winning on their home fields. As the higher seed, FC Cincinnati have earned the right to play on their home grass in the all important third and deciding game of the series.
The two teams met twice in the regular season (as they do every year), once in Leagues Cup and now for a third time in the playoffs. The sixth matchup of the season is a club record for games against any one team. With familiarity comes understanding, so while the stakes couldn’t be higher for a game against a familiar opponent, the way the two teams play is unlikely to catch anyone by surprise.
“I think ... the approach for the teams won't be drastically different than Games 1 and 2,” FC Cincinnati Head Coach Pat Noonan said Thursday “Like I said, we know the circumstances with what the result means, but I don't foresee anything being drastically different because it's the third game and a win-or-go home scenario.”
“The margins are small, even with teams that have been dominant or top teams in the league throughout the year. You go into playoff games and it's difficult. You could see the teams that are getting that second leg victory because they're playing at home and, you know, they're in front of their supporters, and the data will show you, you're winning a lot more at home. It's tough to go on the road and get results. So that gives momentum going into Game 3 for lower seeds, obviously, to go and upset, if you will, the higher seeds. But it's still difficult, it's still difficult to win in the playoffs.”
A win on Saturday earns FC Cincinnati another home playoff game as the New York Red Bulls upset the Columbus Crew in their Round One matchup, meaning FCC will be the higher seed in the match up. A win would set up a third year in a row FCC and New York Red Bulls face off.
FC Cincinnati vs New York City Football Club – Saturday, November 9, 2024 – 4 p.m. ET – TQL Stadium
HOW TO WATCH
Stream: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV
TV Talent (English, Apple): Tyler Terens (PxP), Kyndra de St. Aubin (Analyst)
TV Talent (Spanish, Apple): Oscar Salazar (PxP), Jamie Macias (Analyst)
Radio (English): Fox Sports 1360
Radio (Spanish): La Mega 101.5 FM
Radio Talent (English): Tom Gelehrter (PXP), Kevin McCloskey (Analyst)
Radio Talent: (Spanish): Gustavo Luques (PXP), Jose Romero (Analyst)
Against NYCFC
The matchup with NYCFC marks the sixth time FC Cincinnati has met them this season. In all three matches at TQL Stadium, FCC came out with the victory.
In the league match at TQL Stadium on Saturday, March 23, Luciano Acosta scored to give FC Cincinnati a 1-0 victory. In his FCC career, Acosta has scored six 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.
In the 3-2 loss at Red Bull Arena, Acosta scored a PK in the 69th minute. Corey Baird also scored in the 90+6 minute to give FCC a last grasp at hope, but The Orange and Blue ultimately could not find the equalizer.
In Game One of the Best of 3 series, FC Cincinnati took the victory with a 1-0 result at TQL Stadium. Game Two saw NYCFC snag the second match 3-1.
Light Up Cincy
Get ready to experience TQL Stadium like never before! Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs are about to get more exciting with a new pre-match synchronized light show, and all fans in attendance can be a part of it! Download the FC Cincinnati App and you’ll be able to help illuminate the TQL Stadium with your phone. Join in on this amazing experience, and let's Light Up Cincy together.
Step 1
Open the FC Cincinnati App on your mobile device and tap the Light up Cincy Card on the home screen.
Step 2
Tap the “Accept & Continue” button to agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Step 3
Click the “Continue” button when you hear the in-stadium announcement that the light show is about to begin. This step will only work in-stadium on matchday.
Step 4
Click the “Enable Microphone” button to enable microphone permissions. Light show activation and synchronization require microphone permissions. This step will only work in-stadium on matchday.
Step 5
Click the “Enable Camera” button to enable microphone permissions. Light show features require camera permissions. This step will only work in-stadium on matchday.
Step 6
Keep your FCC App open on the “Waiting to Sync” page and let the show begin! Use the three buttons to capture photos, record videos, and flip to your device’s back or front facing camera. This step will only work in-stadium on matchday.
FC CINCINNATI NOTES
This is it – Every match is win-or-go-home from here on out in 2024. Saturday will be the 18th single-elimination knockout stage match for the club since 2019. The Orange and Blue are 7-5-5 in the 17 prior win-or-go home matches (2-3 in shootouts).
Early Day at TQL Stadium – Saturday will mark a rare afternoon kickoff (4 p.m. or prior) for FC Cincinnati. It will be just FCC’s 10th all-time home match in the Queen City with an early kickoff. The club holds a 2-4-3 record at home in such games. That of course excludes July 28, 2023 when FCC and Chivas resumed the final half hour of play in Leagues Cup 2023 at 2 p.m. after severe weather halted play in the 60th minute the night prior.
Long and Winding Road – Saturday is the 45th competitive match for FC Cincinnati in 2024 (23-15-6). It comes one year after FCC played a club record 46 matches (26-6-14).
Best of 3 – The Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs Round One Best-of-3 Series between FC Cincinnati and New York City has gone the distance to Game 3. The clubs know each other well by this point, Saturday is the sixth meeting of 2024 between FCC and NYCFC. It is the first time in club history FC Cincinnati have played the same opponent six times in a single year.
Snubbed - Luciano ‘Lucho’ Acosta was surprisingly not named a finalist this season to repeat as Landon Donovan MLS Most Valuable Player. Acosta provided more goal contributions in 2024 than he did in 2023 by setting a single-season club record with 33 goal contributions (14 G, 19 A).
Scouting NYCFC (14-12-8, 50 points, 11th in Eastern Conference)This is the first time FC Cincinnati and NYCFC have faced off in the MLS Cup Playoffs but these two sides are hardly unfamiliar with each other in Cup competition play over the last few years. The two met in the Leagues Cup earlier this season where FCC came out on top, and again in the US Open Cup in 2023 where FCC also won 1-0 at Yankee Stadium.
NYCFC missed the playoffs in 2023, but made it in each of the previous three seasons and won MLS Cup in 2021. 2023 was the first season since the 2015 inaugural year for NYCFC that they did not qualify for the MLS Cup Playoffs.
The New York squad has been led this season offensively by two stand out contributors. Santiago Rodriguez has been the engine for the attack, starting in 32 matches and scoring 12 goals with 10 assists. Costa Rican star Alonso Martínez leads the team in goals with 16 despite only starting 19 matches this season. The international has enjoyed a breakout season in 2024 after playing just 30 minutes last season, but only joined the club in August after transferring in from Alajuelense.
In net for NYCFC is standout keeper Matt Freese, who, despite not being named a finalist for Goalkeeper of the Year, was on the shortlist for much of the season. Freese started every regular season match this season for NYCFC and only once did not complete all 90 minutes of a match when he was removed due to injury. He made 121 saves and conceded 45 goals for a 72 percent save percentage.
Defensive midfielders James Sands and Keaton Parks have been instrumental to NYCFC’s success in 2024, each completing over 87 percent of their passes. Defender and Designated Player Thiago Martins (who goes by the mononym ‘Thiago’) leads the team in passes, with 2034 completed and an over 90 percent completion rate.
Head Coach Nick Cushing leads NYCFC in his third year with the club as the top boss. Prior to his appointment as manager in 2022 he served as an assistant from 2020 to 2022 with NYCFC. Cushing though is a longtime member of the “City Football Group” the organization that owns NYCFC and most notably Manchester City in the English Premier League. Prior to his American appointment, Cushing was the Head Coach of the Manchester City Women’s Team from 2013 to 2020, which is his only other coaching role.
Last time NYCFC and FC Cincinnati faced off, The New Yorkers deployed a 4-2-3-1 formation but have at times varied that shape. In their most recent match, a 2-0 loss to CF Montréal, NYCFC used a 4-3-3 formation and have used a 4-4-2 formation as recently as September. When NYCFC came to Cincinnati in March, they were using a 3-4-2-1 formation most but have mostly abandoned that having only used it once since March 31.
