Wednesday night at TQL Stadium, FC Cincinnati players and coaches felt that the match's outcome, a 2-1 loss that saw The Orange and Blue take two red cards, was the amalgamation of frustrations boiling over.
Frustrations in performance, frustrations in outcomes, frustrations in how particular players were being treated and/or respected by opponents and officials alike—all like a supermassive star building and building until the weight of frustration collapsed on itself, and all that remained was the event horizon of a black hole.
"I got what I deserved," Pat Noonan said Thursday morning of his two yellow cards for dissent that saw him sent off and suspended for this weekend's match with the New York Red Bulls. "(There was) still plenty of game left that we could do more to perform better and get a result. But, you know, the frustrations were just how it was managed. And like I said, I got what I deserved."
"Right now, where we're struggling clearly is in the boxes. We're not defending the box well enough, and we're not finishing off plays that are good looks. But I say that (and) it's been ongoing. We scored plenty of goals not too long ago. But the last two games, I think that's the big difference."
FC Cincinnati now will look to turn the page on all that, something they've been historically very good at while under Pat Noonan's reign. While Noonan will not be on the sidelines for The Orange and Blue and his staff of assistants will step in for him for the 90 minutes on Saturday night, the chance to rectify some of the concerns with performance quickly is welcomed. It also comes as the final league match before the 2024 Leagues Cup break, so putting in a strong performance and earning a positive result sets up FCC well headed into the month-long league stoppage.
"You've got to get results at this stage of the season. What I would love to see is a strong performance," Noonan added. "We talked about a response from the Charlotte game, where a lot of things didn't look like us, and we didn't perform well. There were stretches of the game (Wednesday) where we performed well, but like I said, we're not getting the stuff in front of both goals right. So I think it would really give a boost of confidence for the group in the moment to go get a result.
"But I don't want it to be about just survive and do anything we can to win a game. You try to do it in a certain way, and I think we're capable of that."
Trips to Red Bull Arena to face the New York Red Bulls have historically been full of glory for FCC. Two playoff victories and US Open Cup success leaves good memories on the field in Harrison, New Jersey. Similarly, last season, FCC won with a last-second goal thanks to Obinna Nwobodo in another match without their Head Coach. Noonan was away from the club dealing with a private family matter and on that occasion, Dominic Kinnear, the vaunted and renowned MLS Head Coach who now ply his trade as part of Noonan's staff, served as acting gaffer. Noonan this week suggested that the plan for coaching without him will look similar to what we've seen in the past, implying that Kinnear, winner of MLS Cups and Supporters' Shields, will lead the club again.
FC Cincinnati enters this match in a rate position. Only once in the last two years have the Orange and Blue lost two games in a row, and in both instances, after those losses, FCC rattled off lengthy win streaks. That kind of opportunity isn't immediately available, and the challenge to stop the skid doesn't get easier, but the importance of turning the tides and riding a positive wave into the League Cup is of the utmost value to FCC leaders.
"We've got a quick turnaround, we have to be ready for New York because it's a good team and a team that's given us some problems in the past," DeAndre Yedlin said. "We have to be ready for that, but I think there's one kind of one positive with it is we've been a really good team on the road. So hopefully we can continue that and go into this little break with three points and kind of get back on track."
FC Cincinnati vs New York Red Bulls – Saturday July 20, 2024 – 7:30 p.m. ET – Red Bull Arena
Stream: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV
TV Talent (English, Apple): Callum Williams (PxP), Heath Pearce(Analyst)
TV Talent (Spanish, Apple): Diego Pessolano (PXP), Daniel Chapela (Analysis)
Radio: ESPN 1530
Radio Talent: Tom Gelehrter (PXP), Jimmy McClaughlin (Analyst)
All-time vs New York Red Bulls
The FC Cincinnati - New York Red Bull matchup has always been one that envokes fiery emotions and feisty play, with the budding rivalry dating back to FCC’s USL days in the US Open Cup. In the last meeting of the blood feud in New York, FC Cincinnati knocked the Red Bulls out of the MLS Cup Playoffs with a Penalty Kick victory in Round One at Red Bull Arena. The Red Bulls, though, quickly got some revenge earlier this season by beating The Orange and Blue 2-1 at TQL Stadium.
Since joining MLS in 2019, the Red Bulls have had a winning record against FCC, 6-5-5, across all competitions. But when traveling to Red Bull Arena, the Orange and Blue have had the upper hand, with an impressive 3-2-4 record. In non-league games (MLS Cup Playoffs, US Open Cup), FCC is undefeated against RBNY, 2-0-2.
FC CINCINNATI NOTES
Get back in the (New York) Groove – Wednesday marked a rare one-goal loss for FC Cincinnati. Since the start of the 2023 MLS Regular Season, FC Cincinnati are 26-6 (.821) in games decided by one goal, the most wins in MLS history. The 26 wins are the most one-goal wins over a two-year stretch in history.
Start Spreading the News – FC Cincinnati have won seven-straight matches away from home. With an eighth-straight road win Saturday, FCC would standalone with the longest road win streak in MLS history. Only three other clubs, ever, have won as many as seven-straight road matches, which includes the 1999 D.C. United club which won two shootouts in the MLS shootout era (pre-2000) en route to their co-MLS record seven-straight road wins.
New York Minute – Following another MLS midweek matchday, Saturday marks FCC’s third match in eight days. Under Head Coach Pat Noonan, the Orange and Blue have been strong when playing despite short rest. Since 2022, FC Cincinnati are 16-3-5 when playing a game just three days following another, across all competitions.
Two of those three losses (6/24/23 at DC; 6/22/24 vs NE) came on Saturdays following midweek matchdays when FCC had a Wednesday game, but their opponent did not.
New York State of Mind – FC Cincinnati have played more road matches at Red Bull Arena than any other road venue -- by far. Saturday will be the club’s 12th visit to Red Bull Arena, which includes two matches in 2020 against New York City FC, and the 14th including the club’s USL era. FCC’s next most-visited venue is Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium (7 matches).
Olympian – Last week, Miles Robinson was named to the United States roster for the 2024 Summer Olympics beginning later this month in France. Robinson is the first Olympian in FCC history as the U.S. men will compete in the games for the first time since 2008.
Scouting New York Red Bulls (9-4-11, 38 points, 4th in Eastern Conference, T-T-T-T-W)
Red Bull Football Group and all of its subsidiary clubs worldwide, from Germany to Brazil, are known for their particularly direct, high-energy and pressing style of play. The New York Red Bulls are no different. Even with a first-year Head Coach at the helm of the club, the RBNY's style and swagger have maintained.
"They're aggressive against the ball," Noonan said of his opponent this weekend. "If you can find solutions to play through pressure at times, you can have space to attack behind. Whether that's from your own half or closer to goal, but they also have good speed, good mobility, they compete really well. So, you know, the windows to attack the goal are small."
While there have been notable changes to the Red Bulls roster since the last time these two teams met, much of what has made New York, New York has only been augmented by time. Most notably, former member of The Orange and Blue Frankie Amaya has been transferred to Liga MX side Toluca.
Other than that, though, the virtue of time has improved the group's cohesion. Scottish international Lewis Morgan has returned from the UEFA European Championships in Germany. Swedish star midfielder and Designated Player Emil Forsberg continues to be a dominant addition to the squad, and Finnish youngster Noah Elie continues to develop into the first-rate defender they have hoped he would be. Forsberg, though, has been in and out of the lineup of late due to injury and is not expected to be available at this time.
The aforementioned first-year manager, Sandro Schwarz, who came to New York after managerial stints in Germany and Russia, most typically deploys a 4-4-2 formation with Forsburg unavailable. Instead of placing the Swede as the center midfield attacker, he opts to balance the midfield with breakout youngster Daniel Edelman and Ronald Donkor.
In net for New York is long-time Red Bull man Carlos Coronel, who has started 18 games this season. In his 18 starts, the Brazil native has conceded 25 goals and made 50 saves on 75 shots. In matches he has started, New York has a 7-3-8 record.
