FC Cincinnati is actually in the MLS playoffs for the first time in club history. Remarkably, they also finished in fifth in the eastern conference setting themselves up for a date with New York Red Bull in the first round. FC Cincinnati went 12-9-13 this season and earned 49 points and this was coming off a 2021 campaign where the club won their third straight wooden spoon. With that being said, let’s preview this matchup.
FC Cincinnati’s Attack
It’s no secret how good the club’s attack is, but when actually looking at the squad and seeing who is on there, it’s scary how great they are. FC Cincinnati scored 64 goals in 2022 which was second in the conference only trailing Philadelphia Union’s 72. With players such as Brenner, Luciano Acosta, and Brandon Vazquez playing up top, that’s a lot of pressure for any backline. It also helps other players like Junior Moreno, Obinna Nwobodo, Alvaro Barreal, and Yuya Kubo are featured and can create those opportunities for those players mentioned earlier. There’s a lot of fire power on this side.
The Backline
While the attack looks good, what about the backline? Well, that’s bit harder to explain. While certainly the backs have some talent in players like Ronald Matarrita, Matt Miazga, Geoff Cameron, and Ian Murphy, the problem is that they seemingly lose focus and concede goals at the worst moments. The way FC Cincinnati attacks it unfortunately opens them up too often, but the backline also seemingly gets caught off guard. If they can correct that, a deep playoff run is in the books.
The Bench
Now that a game can’t end in a draw, this is where things get interesting with tactical substitutions. This is where it actually favors FC Cincinnati as the more the game progresses (including extra time) as there is a lot of pressure on each team. The club has a lot of options on the bench that can make things even more difficult for Red Bulls in these situations as they have players who can make the attack almost impossible to defend. Be on the lookout for what players like Dominique Badji, Sergio Santos, Calvin Harris, Allan Cruz, and Zico Bailey could do, especially with the speed of Santos as it could come up clutch.
Overcoming Red Bulls Defense
While FC Cincinnati’s attack is great, it’s going to have a hard time against the Red Bulls defense. They only allowed 41 goals during the season and that could give FC Cincinnati some headaches. They need to consistently need to apply pressure on Red Bulls or else this match could end up in penalty shootout. Maybe there’s a good reason why both sides drew twice this season and Red Bulls defense is the biggest reason why.
Prediction: FC Cincinnati wins 3-1
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