FC Cincinnati Win Streak Comes to an End with 1-0 Defeat to NYCFC

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MLS FC Cincinnati

FC Cincinnati Win Streak Comes to an End with 1-0 Defeat to NYCFC

May 5, 2025 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
FC Cincinnati News Release


QUEENS, NEW YORK -- In a soggy afternoon in New York's most eastern borough, FC Cincinnati left the field with a loss for the first time in over a month and half. Despite a stronger performance in the second half, a slow start and a conceded goal in the opening 10 minutes was all it took to wash away the FCC streak and leave them looking within for answers.

In the 8th minute Julian Fernandez received a centering pass to the middle of the box after FCC had failed to fully clear a chance and he burned a low shot to the back corner that beat keeper Roman Celentano - who was otherwise unbeatable all night - for the only goal of the day. FCC then had 82 minutes to find an equalizer and despite building some momentum, a finish could not be found and the game was lost.

"Poor first half," FC Cincinnati Head Coach Pat Noonan said to open his post-match press conference from an office in Citi Field. "A good response in the second half, but on the night, just not enough. Not enough composure with the ball, and then when we did find some good moments to create, I think we rushed a lot of those plays. So, plenty to look at and work on. But not a good enough night."

Noonan has been honest and blunt in his assessments of his team in the lead up to the match on Sunday afternoon. During the five-game win streak (and six-game unbeaten streak) the Head Coach has described performances as "not good enough" and/or "certainly not our best" in five of the six post-game press conferences. Noonan cited a lack of composure and cohesion as a key problem in multiple games and problem solving on the fly in others.

It was a writing on the wall, both in hindsight and in the moment. FC Cincinnati had not yet played to their potential, so to get results (particularly wins) was a boon. But the overshadowing facet of performance remained a concern.

That said, Noonan highlighted how Saturday afternoon was still a letdown beyond the context of the previous six matches.

"This was, I think, a level below some of the other performances," Noonan clarified. "We're looking for consistency and reaching a higher bar than we have. So, [we] continue to search for that."

Saturday was, in part, supposed to be a celebration of sorts for FC Cincinnati. Earlier in the week, FCC had - for the first time in 2025 - a fully healthy and available lineup in training as a group. Teenage Hadebe and Yuya Kubo returned to the group for the first time and Obinna Nwobodo began training the week before and made an appearance Saturday.

It was a full group, all at once. Never in 2025 had the full FC Cincinnati roster, as it stands, trained together all at once. Not in preseason, not since kickoff. There was always something standing in the way. Now, with a full group the team would not only have its full depth to utilize and strategize around, but a full group to start working together on things.

But like it always seems to be thus far into 2025, something came up. Two members of The Orange and Blue were injured in the days, prior to playing in New York City. Pavel Bucha was added to the injury report and did not travel as he was in concussion protocol due to a knock in training, and Obinna Nwobodo picked up a knock to his leg before departing and did not make the trip.

That left FC Cincinnati not only without two players in the defensive midfield, a position where compared to other groups on the field is more shallow on the depth chart, but without two of FC Cincinnati's definitive starters. Adding to the season long theme with some additional unluckiness, if not dramatic irony.

But that wasn't a concern in the grander scheme of Saturday afternoon. Or at least it didn't play out to be as such.

"We had a strong enough group," Noonan explained. "Yuya [Kubo] did a good job. Dado [Valenzuela] did a good job. Brian [Anunga]. I don't think the midfield was the problem at all today with how we performed."

Kubo started the match and played the first 45 minutes in a rare, but obviously needed, start in his first appearance after injury. Anuga started alongside Kubo and played the full match with Valenzuela coming on to relieve Kubo at half. The FCC Academy product Valenzuela was very nearly the breakthrough they needed, getting three quality shot opportunities but was unable to convert.

So if it was not that mix up in the midfield, where did Noonan think the match went wrong?

"Our pressing. Our pressing wasn't good enough for the first half, and it caused us to have to defend in unnecessary ways closer to goal," Noonan answered. "They (NYCFC) certainly have creativity and good one-v-one attackers, some good crossing moments, but yeah, we just put ourselves in too many difficult spots, and then composure with the ball was poor. It's hard to have any rhythm in the game when you don't do those two things."

FCC found its footing in the second half though, but even that was marked by and in change. Pat Noonan, telling his team they were fortunate to be in the position they were because of the performance of Roman Celentano to keep the game at one goal, deployed a new personnel group with a new formation. In taking off a center back and adding another striker to the mix, FCC went away from the backline with five men, turned into a back four, and added a player to the attack.

So, while the performance improved, so did the tactics around it; and while it's hard to tell what occurred first in this chicken/egg scenario, the outcome was clearly preferable.

"It should look more like the second half than the first half," Noonan insisted. "First half wasn't good, second half was. So, we just didn't have the level of composure necessary. But we've had plenty of good moments, some moments not as good, and we're looking for consistency there."

"The personnel was changed, but a lot of what we did with and without the ball didn't change. It was just a matter of getting Sergio on the field. I thought his speed could help us, and he's been in decent form. And we knew Dado was going to be a change at halftime. So how it looked with and without the ball was similar to how we approached the first half and how things should have looked more consistently in the first half."

FC Cincinnati now get another opportunity to prove themselves. Another match is on the horizon and another week of opportunity for a breakthrough awaits. In all, the Saturday loss in New York is a harder one to evaluate on a grander scale. On the one hand it was a loss, on the other, FCC again conceded just one goal and the defensive work continued to stand out.

So while an old friend lurks just over the horizon -- an old friend who evokes memories of many great FC Cincinnati goals in history - the attack has opportunities to get their collaboration in-sync.

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