FC Cincinnati faced the New York Red Bulls on Saturday. Despite taking an early lead with a goal from Yuya Kubo and a crucial penalty-kick save by Evan Louro, Cincinnati experienced their first MLS defeat of the season, losing 2-1 at home. Prior to this match, Cincinnati had lost to New York only once in their last five encounters. Ironically, Cincinnati’s last regular-season MLS defeat also came with a 2-1 scoreline at home against the Red Bulls last October.
Both teams were coming off 1-1 draws. Cincinnati had managed to secure their draw with a late goal against Charlotte FC, while New York allowed a late equalizer against Orlando City SC. FCC began the match with their usual formation but made several lineup adjustments. Roman Celentano, the regular starting goalkeeper, was absent due to an ankle injury sustained in the prior game against Charlotte FC.
Photo Cred: Cincinnati Inquirer
Evan Louro stepped in to make his first MLS start, facing his former team. Yuya Kubo and Kipp Keller were included in the starting lineup, replacing Corey Baird and Nick Hagglund, who were relegated to the bench. The roster also saw the debut appearance of Yamil Asad.
The game started positively for Cincinnati, with Kubo netting an early goal.The goal came off Yuya Kubo, from a ball served in from Luciano “Lucho” Acosta. However, despite Louro’s heroic penalty save, the Red Bulls managed to equalize and then secure the victory with a late goal, handing Cincinnati their first defeat of the season. The loss highlighted both the team’s resilience and areas needing improvement as they aim to bounce back in their upcoming fixtures.
