Cover Photo: Ryan Fleming
MLS Cup Playoffs Round One Matchday 2 Information
- Who: New York Red Bulls (11-13-10, 43 points) vs s – FC Cincinnati (20-5-9, 69 points)
- When: Saturday, November 4, 2023 – 7:00 PM EST
- Where: Red Bull Arena – Harrison, NJ, USA
- How To Watch: Apple TV – MLS Season Pass
2023 Matchups
- May 23, 2023 (US Open Cup): New York Red Bulls 1(3) (Vanzeir 90′+2′) – FC Cincinnati 1(5) (Kubo 42′)
- July 12, 2023: New York Red Bulls 1 (Fernandez 28′ (Pen)) – FC Cincinnati 2 (Acosta 80′ (Pen), Nwobodo 90′+3′)
- October 4, 2023: FC Cincinnati 1 (Acosta 68′ (Pen)) – New York Red Bulls 2 (Amaya 12′, Manoel 17′)
- October 29, 2023 (MLS Cup Playoffs): FC Cincinnati 3 (Barreal 23′, 89′, Acosta 35′) – New York Red Bulls 0
Format and Rules
Here’s the quick recap of the rules.
The Round One of the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs goes as follows:
- Best of three – first team to win two matches advances to the Conference Semifinals of the Playoffs.
- Hosting rights go as follows: home, away, home for the higher seeded team, and away, home, away for the lower seeded side.
- Matches that end the 90 minute regular time tied will go straight to Penalty Kicks. You heard that right, there’s not additional time period – those two 15-minute periods FC Cincinnati played against Inter Miami at TQL Stadium this season in the US Open Cup Semifinal. Those periods will be played in the Conference Semifinal, Conference Championship, and MLS Cup Finals, but not for the Round One matches.
- A player receiving three yellow cards will be suspended.
- A player who receives a third cumulative yellow card in the Conference Semifinal is eligible to play in the Conference Championship, where yellow card accumulation resets.
- Yellow Cards issued during the match DO NOT carry over to PK shootouts. Here’s some examples:
- Example 1: The goalkeeper is cautioned in his first match of the Playoffs. The goalkeeper is cautioned in the regulation period of the second match. The same goalkeeper is cautioned during the Penalty Kick shootout in the second match. It’s his second yellow card of that second match, but he is not be sent off during the match, but is suspended for his next playoff match due to Yellow Card Accumulation.
- Example 2: A player is cautioned twice during the same Penalty Kick shootout. That player is sent off and is suspended for their next match.
Pat Noonan
Pat Noonan has been undefeated in his tenure with FC Cincinnati when playing in Red Bull Arena. A draw in regular season play last season, a win in MLS Cup Playoffs last year, a win in PKs in US Open Cup this year, and a win in regular season play this year. When asked, Pat Noonan said that there was a certain “comfort level” playing in Red Bull Arena, having gotten results in the past, but also said that none of the matches against the New York Red Bulls have been easy.
“I think the matchups have been tight, whether they’ve been at TQL or at Red Bull Arena. So you know, last year, I think we drew and got the playoff win. So I think certainly there’s a comfort level of getting a result in the building. But the games certainly aren’t easy. I mean, you look at the draw this year that went to PK’s where you know, after 90 minutes in cup play, where they were in complete control and were a better team. So we found a way to get by, but it wasn’t a great performance. So yeah, I don’t have a good answer for that. But you know, I think we match up well against them the same way they probably think they match up well against us, because like I said, it’s been one or two moments in all of these games that have been the deciding factor in who’s getting a result. So hopefully, we have a strong performance like we did in our first game and could look forward to advancing.”
Pat Noonan (FC Cincinnati)
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