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Keys to the Match: Back in the BX

May 31, 2023 - Major League Soccer (MLS) - New York City FC News Release


New York City Football Club are back at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday night, hosting FC Cincinnati.

The Boys in Blue return to The Bronx in a 7:30pm ET kick-off, in the second match of a three-game home stand.

Here are the Keys to the Match, presented by Ford...

Back In The Boogie Down

The City Boys are back in The BX for the first time since April's visit of Atlanta United.

Nick Cushing's side earned two wins and a draw from our opening three games at Yankee Stadium in 2023, having gone unbeaten in 10 matches on home soil before Saturday's visit of Philadelphia Union.

NYCFC have not tasted defeat in the Boogie Down since March 2022 but suffered a setback on New York turf for the first time since then at Citi Field last time out - and the Boys in Blue are ready to rebuild the fortress.

"We had a really good streak at home for a while," said Tayvon Gray. "I think we just have to get that back.

"We can't really dwell too much on this [last] game - we have a game on Wednesday and Saturday, so we are looking forward to it. We are just going to move on."

Cincy Showdown

City welcome the Eastern Conference and Supporters Shield leaders to the Bronx in Cincinnati.

The Orange and Blue sit top of the standings with an impressive 33 points from their opening 14 games, tallying 10-1-3.

The Ohio side have been flawless at home this term with ten wins in all competitions at TQL Stadium but have had mixed results on the road of 2-1-3, defeating Colorado Rapids 1-0 last time out.

Nine of their 10 regular seasons wins have been earned with a one-goal margin - as was their US Open Cup victory over NYCFC three weeks ago.

New York will be encouraged by their fine overall record against Cincy (winning six and drawing two of the nine meetings, triumphing in the first six) but will be wary of an in-form outfit, who are also unbeaten in their last three against the City Boys.

Team News

The two sides lock horns for the second time this season with the US Open Cup encounter still fresh in the mind.

Brandon Vazquez's second half strike separated the sides on that night, but the goals have been shared around the Cincinnati roster, who will provide another physical challenge for the Boys in Blue.

Luciano Acosta leads their scoring charts with five goals and three assists, while Sergio Santos sits in second spot with one fewer, and Vazquez is tied with Junior Moreno on three.

Cincy will be without Obinna Nwobodo due to yellow card accumulation, while Head Coach Pat Noonan admitted Santos was doubtful, having suffered a knock against Colorado, alongside Nick Hagglund.

Meanwhile, Cushing is set to be without Thiago Martins through injury, but could welcome back Mitja Ilenić and Matías Pellegrini, while Richy Ledezma and Alfredo Morales are both in contention.

Tickets for NYCFC's visit of FC Cincinnati on Wednesday are available. Don't miss your chance to secure your seat at Yankee Stadium.

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