NYCFC winless in last seven after 3-1 loss to FC Cincinnati
By Chris Tsakonas
New York City’s winless streak has entered its seventh match after a 3-1 loss to FC Cincinnati in front of 14,806 supporters at Yankee Stadium. The defeat came in a physical match that saw NYCFC issued seven yellow cards.
“I thought tonight you saw a team that was fighting for New York City,” Nick Cushing said after the match.”
The match got off to a choppy start in the opening minutes, but New York City got their first good look at goal in the 9th minute off a deflected shot from Gabriel Pereira. NYCFC got an even better look in the 18th minute, when a Santi Rodriguez corner set up a point blank James Sands header that was stopped by Roman Celentano.
New York City thought they had the breakthrough in the 30th minute, when Pereira beat Celentano and found the back of the net on a finish - only for Armando Villarreal to call the goal back on a foul in the buildup from Gabe Segal. Cushing criticized Villarreal for the call in his post-match presser.
“To me we should’ve been 1-0 up,” Cushing said. “One guy took that away from us.”
Cincinnati got the opening goal in the 38th minute, when Luciano Acosta placed a perfect shot from outside the area into the top corner.
The end of the first half nearly saw an equalizer, as a cross from Braian Cufre somehow ricocheted off the crossbar and nearly beat Celentano.
New York City almost equalized off another corner in the 52nd minute, when Maxime Chanot’s header off another corner was stopped again by Celentano.
Cincinnati got a set piece goal at the other end in the 58th minute, when Alvaro Barreal got a top corner finish off a free kick from about 25 yards out. It was the 9th time that NYCFC had conceded off a set piece this season.
“Our defending in open play has been good all season, [but] we needed to fix [defending] set plays,” Cushing said. “And we have a lot of focus on it.”
NYCFC finally pulled one back in the 64th minute, when Alfredo Morales sent in a cross that was headed in on the right post by Cufre.
Cincinnati got their two goal lead back just minutes later, when Tony Alfaro conceded a penalty off a challenge on Yerson Mosquera. Brandon Vazquez stepped up to the spot, and guessed the right way to make it 3-1 Cincinnati in the 70th minute.
With the defeat, New York City will have a short turnaround before hosting the New England Revolution at Yankee Stadium to try and stop their winless streak.