FC Cincinnati triumphed in penalty kicks to advance to the next round of MLS Cup playoffs over New York Red Bulls.
FCC dominated game one, winning 3-0 and looked certain to sweep Red Bulls in game two. But it wasn’t as straightforward for Pat Noonan’s side, as substitute Aaron Boupendza tied the game up in the 75th minute to send the game to a shootout.
The Orange and Blue prevailed 8-7 in the shootout, ending New York’s season and hopes of playoff glory. With the victory, Cincinnati become the first team in the postseason to sweep their opponents and advance to the second round, where they’ll take on the winner of the Philadelphia Union and New England Revolution series.
“I thought they’re ready for it,” Noonan said after the win. “A lot of fouls, both sides, small calls missed I know it was heavily skewed with their fouls over ours. But you got to figure out how to play in games like that and I think in these two games the guys were up for it and kept their composure for the most part in a good way.”
Noonan explained that he wants to see his side focus more on competing than talking to referees, a sign that they might’ve been annoyed by New York’s attempts to get under their skin. This isn’t a new discovery, as Union head coach Jim Curtin has called out Red Bulls before for their knack of frustrating opponents with off-the-ball challenges – essentially being pros at the ‘dark arts’ in soccer.
“There are still some moments where guys just need to get on with plays and think about playing and less about communication with the official. So, it’s something we’ll address,” Noonan said.
Noonan continued to highlight how proud he was of his team despite Red Bulls’ physical game plan.
“It’s part of it, you have games like that. Physical, fouls, how the officials are able to manage that is challenging, and top players that have been in these moments before and understand how to navigate a game like that don’t let it affect their play. A majority of our guys … I thought handled the type of game that we saw in a good way,” he said.
The Orange and Blue’s shot-stopper, Roman Celentano, came up clutch during the shootout to seal the decisive victory for his team. Celentano, who Cincinnati drafted in the 2022 Superdraft, saved Andres Reyes’ attempt during the shootout, propelling the team to the next round.
“I’m just thinking I need to make a save at some point,” said Celentano. “The boys kept putting theirs away and giving me a chance to make a save to win the game…You just got to focus on the moment and focus on who’s in front of you and not worry about ‘oh, it’s been six now I haven’t made to save it’s been seven and I haven’t made a save.'”
While Cincinnati came away as victors and now await their opponents in the second round, it wasn’t all perfect for the Supporters’ Shield champions: 2023 Defender of the year finalist Matt Miazga is set to miss Cincinnati’s next match after picking up two yellow cards, one in normal time and another during the shootout for taunting the New York fans.
It’s Miazga’s third yellow card in the postseason already, and it’ll be a huge loss no matter who they take on in the next round. But it’ll be next man up for the Orange and Blue and Noonan, as Yerson Mosquera, Ian Murphy and potentially Santiago Arias will shoulder the load in the back-three.
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