MLS FC Cincinnati

FC Cincinnati Outlast New York Red Bulls to Win Round One Classic, Advance to Conference Semifinals

November 4, 2023 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
FC Cincinnati News Release


It took 10 penalty kickers and a full 90 minutes, but FC Cincinnati was able to complete the sweep of the New York Red Bulls in the Round One Best-of-3 playoff series and advance to the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Roman Celentano made the save on the Red Bulls' 10th attempt to secure the 1-1 (8-7) shootout victory on Saturday night at Red Bull Arena. It was Celentano's first penalty kick save of the season.

Every FC Cincinnati player on the pitch, save the goalkeeper, was required to shoot PKs with captain Luciano Acosta leading things off and burying his attempt. FCC's 10th and final attempt by Junior Moreno was ultimately the one that earned victory as he blasted it past a diving Red Bulls goalkeeper.

FC Cincinnati will now host every playoff game from here on out at TQL Stadium, including potentially the MLS Cup Final. Their next opponent will be the winner of the Philadelphia Union and New England Revolution Round One series. The Orange and Blue will have to wait three weeks for the next round as MLS pauses for the International Window in mid-November.

FC Cincinnati secured a come-from-behind victory for the second time in as many matches at Red Bull Arena, earning the result after going down 1-0 at halftime.

Weather the opening storm

In the first 20 minutes, The Orange and Blue weathered an initial onslaught of attackers, pressure and physicality that the New York Red Bulls hoped to set the tone with. While very few dangerous moments came of the play, with just one shot truly having even a chance before sailing high off the crossbar, FCC was forced to play inside their own half for most of the period.

The Red Bulls out-fouled FC Cincinnati 8-2 in the opening 20 minutes, but were never punished with a booking despite appeals from captain Luciano Acosta. The tensions hit a fever pitch when Red Bulls midfielder Frankie Amaya brought down Santiago Arias away from the ball, causing a coming together in front of the ref.

The teams had to be separated again in the 42nd minute when Red Bulls forward Tom Barlow swept the legs out from under Yerson Mosquera and gave a full kick to the defender's shin. The foul prompted Acosta and Matt Miazga to rush to Mosquera's defense, causing a scene near the referee.

FC Cincinnati spoke pregame about the need to match New York's physicality with composure, and adapted as it became clear the referee was open to more aggressive play.

Despite all the physical play from RBNY, the first card went to Santiago Arias, who took a professional foul in the 39th minute to slow down a fast break by sliding to tackle the ball carrier.

Red Bulls find the opener before half

With the first 45 minutes just coming to an end, and the official just about to put up the clock for stoppage time, the New York Red Bulls struck first, scoring after a chaotic moment in the box and an unlucky bounce found Barlow in front of the net where he was able to just put enough english on the shot to ricochet off FCC goalkeeper Roman Celentano and dribble into the net. It was the first goal scored by RBNY in the playoff series.

Moments later, RBNY had an opportunity for a second goal when a shot into the box was checked for a handball. After being reviewed, no penalty was given, resulting in a corner that was ultimately the last play of the first half.

Boupendza places it perfectly

Boupendza found the equalizer for FC Cincinnati in the 75th minute when he and Acosta teamed up for a brilliant fast break goal. Boupendza won the ball in the midfield, dumped off a pass to the captain, and then the duo made a run finished off by a perfectly placed shot that snuck inside the post and past a diving keeper.

Acosta was able to create the moment by shielding his body from a defender charging with him up the middle. With Brandon Vazquez chasing up the other wing, the Red Bulls defenders were split in how to defend the opportunity. Ultimately, the captain was able to lead a pass perfectly to Boupendza, who equaled the performance with a shot you couldn't have placed more perfectly if you did it by hand.

The goal equalized the game and brought new life to the second half. The assist was Acosta's second of the postseason and the first goal of Boupendza's MLS postseason career.

Early and unfortunate changes

Attacker Dominique Badji was forced to come off in the 34th minute due to an injury. After being tackled in the attack zone, Badji stayed down and required medical attention from team trainers. Badji was able to walk under his own power after being evaluated for a few minutes, but was unable to continue. Boupendza readied quickly and was subbed after Badji exited the field. It is the first time since September 2022 that FCC had made a first half substitution in a competitive match, and the first time since October 2021 that the sub was made when not the result of a weather delay.

Obinna Nwobodo also exited the game due to an apparent injury. After receiving medical attention and leaving the pitch, Nwobodo initially tried to return to the match, but was replaced by Yuya Kubo in the 69th minute.

**Drama in the final moment

**In stoppage time, after what would have been the game-winning goal that was struck by Acosta from a corner kick, the referee ruled that a foul had been committed on the goalkeeper and thus the goal was rescinded.

Acosta stepped to the corner and curled it perfectly into a dangerous spot where a crowd of Boupendza and Arias were able to cause enough havoc to have the ball cross the line before the keeper could punch it out. The Orange and Blue celebrated the goal, but were left heart broken when the call was brought back.

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