One goal secures a vital three points for NYCFC after they beat FC Cincinnati | OneFootball

Fans who went to Sunday’s game went for two reasons.  New York City FC was celebrating Star Wars Day and had a giveaway, which can encourage the casual fans or those who do not always attend to go to Citi Field.  Then, there was the hope that the Boys in Blue would climb out of their scoring difficulties hole and find a way to shock FC Cincinnati.

Incredibly, NYCFC fought hard and scraped by with a 1-0 win.  The Pigeons knew it would be a challenge to beat one of the best teams in MLS.  Entering the match, the Orange and Blue were in third place in the Eastern Conference after sitting in first before the weekend.  On the other side, the Queens team sat in tenth.  Yet, they found a way despite scoring just one goal again.

Meanwhile, Pascal Jansen went with a solid Starting XI.  Justin Haak began the game next to Thiago Martins.  Andrés Perea also started his first match since the 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs, increasing the attacking presence on the pitch.  As such, Haak, Martins, and Tayvon Gray played more as a three-man backline when in the attack.

Overall, the match was a stronger performance for NYCFC.  In the first half, they had their best offensive work in a while and might have been up another goal or two without a few misses or Cincinnati’s goalkeeper, Roman Celentano.  The second half required more defensive work, and the offensive effort weakened.

NYCFC secures 3 points with 1-0 win

NYCFC started the game off quickly and dominated the possession and offensive effort.  It was a little surprising, but perhaps the slightly different lineup impacted their play at the beginning.

The question was whether the Pigeons could capitalize on chances.  In the ninth minute, they did just that.  Maxi Moralez had either a pass or an interesting shot deflected off Miles Robinson, and the ball landed at Julián Fernández.  With one touch, the winger slotted the ball into the right side of the goal, putting his team up 1-0.

Then, a few minutes later, NYCFC was awarded a penalty kick after Alonso Martínez was fouled in the box.  The forward was making a good run and had room to shoot, but ultimately, he was impeded from doing so.  As such, he took the ball and attempted the penalty kick.  However, he failed to convert despite sending Cincinnati’s goalkeeper, Roman Celentano, the other way.  The ball hit the right post, and the score did not change.

That was not the only bad luck during the match.  Sadly, Keaton Parks had to come out in the 26th minute.  The midfielder appeared to suffer a lower leg injury, so Jansen sent out Birk Risa to replace him.  The center-back stepped into Haak’s spot while the defensive midfielder moved up into the midfield.

Hopefully, the injury is not serious, especially with a crazy month ahead for NYCFC.  Nevertheless, the Boys in Blue continued to play with an attacking ferocity.  The Orange and Blue also grew more into the match, but the home side had the better offensive opportunities for most of the first 45 minutes.

The second half was another story.  Cincinnati came out flying, and the Pigeons had to work more defensively.  That did not mean that they stopped producing in the attack.  Martínez had a superb chance around the 61st minute to head the ball in for a second NYCFC goal.  Instead, the ball went way over the bar despite the fact that he should have put it away for the second goal.

Although, the half was more reminiscent of the Pigeons’ attack during the rough stretch where they struggled to score.  The attempts became more lackluster and at times weaker, decreasing the threat to the Ohio team.

Defensively, it was all hands on deck, but Matt Freese switched with Celentano for the goalkeeper show.  He had to step up big time and made some incredible saves.  His stop in the 79th might have been the game changer to keep Cincinnati off the scoresheet.  The keeper came off his line a little bit and made himself big, blocking a shot from Gerardo Valenzuela. In total, he made four saves during the game.

It was gritty work in the end, but NYCFC got the job done and secured all three points.  The concerns about the goals remain, but the result can be one that the team builds on.