Matchday 16 Information:
- Who: New York City FC (4-6-4, 16 points) vs FC Cincinnati (10-1-3, 33 points)
- When: Wednesday, May 31, 2023 – 7:30 PM EST
- Where: Yankee Stadium – New York City, NY, US
- How To Watch: Apple TV – MLS Season Pass
2022/23 Matchups:
- June 29, 2022: FC Cincinnati 4 (Acosta 15′, Brenner 24′, 30′, 70′) – New York City FC 4 (Magno 45′, Weber 45’+2′, 45’+7′, Pereira 52′)
- September 7, 2022: New York City FC 1 (Pereira 41′) – FC Cincinnati 1 (Martins 22′ (OG))
- May 10, 2023 (US Open Cup): FC Cincinnati 1 (Vazquez 56′) – New York City FC 0
Key Player: Roman Celentano (CIN)
The last time FC Cincinnati played NYCFC was at home this season during the US Open Cup. FC Cincinnati won 1-0 thanks to a 56th-minute goal by Brandon Vazquez – but the goalkeeping responsibilities were handed to Alec Kann that match.
Celentano hasn’t missed a single minute of MLS action so far and he’s second in all of MLS with 7 clean sheets (only behind Seattle’s Stefan Frei). That’s been a big factor for Cincinnati’s scorching hot form – as they sit comfortably in first in all of MLS with a 5-point cushion after 14 matches.
FC Cincinnati is only the fifth team in MLS history to earn 33 points through their first 14 matches – but the only team to have a single-digit goal differential. FC Cincinnati’s +8 goal differential speaks volumes to how consistent the team has been defensively (and how much a 5-1 loss can screw GD early on in the season).
FC Cincinnati will be WITHOUT the services of the focal point of their defensive dominance in Obinna Nwobodo, who was issued his fifth MLS yellow card of the season on Saturday. His yellow card accumulation results in a one-match suspension, which he will serve on Wednesday. Add on top of that the fact that FC Cincinnati has played 4 matches over their last 11 days – Wednesday will mark match #5 over 15 days.
Celentano has faced 4.30 xGOT over that stretch and has conceded just two goals – both against Columbus. With the Orange and Blue losing their star #6 for Wednesday, the USMNT keeper will need to keep NYCFC out of the back of the net on Wednesday. NYCFC have conceded goals in 11 straight MLS matches dating back to early March, while FC Cincinnati has scored in 12 straight MLS matches. Against NYCFC, who haven’t won a match since late April, FC Cincinnati will once again rely on their defensive prowess to get a result at Yankee Stadium.
Photo Credit: @FCCincinnati (via Twitter)
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