After weeks of tangling with playoff hopefuls and MLS Cup contenders, FC Cincinnati faces a new kind of challenge as MLS hurtles toward its postseason: FCC's next game is against a potential first-round MLS Cup playoffs opponent in New York City FC.
FC Cincinnati and NYCFC are scheduled on Wednesday to play the close-out game of their Eastern Conference season series at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey.
With postseason Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees and New York Mets thought to be possible − and both teams reached the postseason, although neither has a home game until this coming weekend − the next installment of FC Cincinnati versus NYCFC will take place in the home of the Red Bulls, NYCFC's biggest rival.
FC Cincinnati is still searching high and low for the best version of itself. That task will be further complicated due to the expected absence of Chidozie Awaziem, the injured center back who sustained a setback in Saturday's 2-1 loss to Los Angeles FC. Awaziem's injury isn't believed to be season-ending in nature, though.
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One thing you won't see FCC do is participate in any gamesmanship relative to any possible first-round playoff matchup with New York City FC.
"Not for me. Yeah, it's a good time to be tested against top teams, which we just saw with LAFC and going into this NYCFC game, it'll be another very challenging task," FC Cincinnati head coach Pat Noonan said during a Monday news conference. "But whether we, you know, end up seeing them in that first round or not, there's too many scenarios where you just don't know for that to come into play for me."
New York City might be close to finding the best version of itself after a climactic victory against its arch-rival in the same building they'll host FCC in on Wednesday.
NYCFC's recent form
The foundation for NYCFC's current run into the playoffs was poured and hardened over a six-week period from mid-April through the end of May when the club won eight out of nine matches. But then it won just two of its next 14 league contests, which included a nine-match winless run.
NYCFC ended its search for a victory in emphatic fashion, embarrassing New York City metro region rival New York Red Bulls in a 5-1 triumph.
“I think the difference in this game and maybe others before it were that we were really clinical in the box,” NYCFC Nick Cushing said, according to the team website. “We also defended well in our box. I think in a game of this magnitude, where the emotion is high, and the result is important, it's going to be the most critical part. In all of the games lately, there have been real positives, and there have been areas we need to improve.
“I think this one was complete in the sense of both boxes, but the bit in the middle, whether it's first and second balls or whether it was moments to play, we got the balance really right in terms of executing result.”
Not surprisingly, NYCFC is riding high into Wednesday's clash with FC Cincinnati.
Alonso Martínez, who netted twice in the drubbing of the Red Bulls, is NYCFC's leading scorer with a formidable 14 goals on the year in MLS play.
"Tough matchup. You know, anytime you win in a rivalry game in the fashion that they did, I imagine, much like LAFC... with good momentum. LAFC was, you could see on the back end of winning a title, they were strong and defended in a really organized way. Defended the box better than we did and also had the quality with the ball to cause us some problems and hit us in transition," Noonan said in comparing the LAFC match to the NYCFC game. "So, (LAFC) had a really strong game, and I think it was something that we struggled with early on, and then made good adjustments, and played a really good last 65 minutes.
"But it's got to be 90, 90-plus minutes to win games. So going into New York City, a very strong win (against Red Bulls), and they've been, I think the last time we played them in Leagues Cup, I was talking about the consistency of their group and performances, and it's kind of been trending that way for a long time. So, I think they're in a good way right now. And you know that, I think performance and result, kind of shows, you know, just where they're at."
The game: FC Cincinnati vs. LAFC
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. ET | Red Bull Arena; Harrison, New Jersey
Broadcast: Apple TV MLS Season Pass
All-time series: New York City FC leads the all-time series against FC Cincinnati with a 6-5-1 record, although New York is winless in its last seven games with FCC (0-5-2).
Cincinnati.com prediction: FC Cincinnati 2, NYCFC 2.
FC Cincinnati
Record (MLS): 17-9-5, 58 points; Third place in Eastern Conference
Goals for: 53 (Tied for No. 4 in east; tied for No. 9 in MLS)
Goals against: 41 (No. 3 in east; tied for No. 5 in MLS)
Head coach : Pat Noonan, third season as Cincinnati manager
Projected starting XI : Roman Celentano (GK), Alvas Powell, Miles Robinson, Ian Murphy, DeAndre Yedlin, Yamil Asad, Obinna Nwobodo, Pavel Bucha, Luciano Acosta, Luca Orellano, Kevin Kelsy.
New York City FC
Record (MLS): 12-11-8, 44 points; Fifth place in Eastern Conference
Goals for: 48 (Tied for No. 5 in east; tied for No. 15 in MLS)
Goals against: 44 (Tied for No. 5 in east; tied for No. 9 in MLS)
Head coach : Nick Cushing, third season as NYCFC manager
Projected starting XI : Matt Freeze (GK), Kevin O'Toole, Justin Haak, Thiago Martins, Tayvon Gray, Andrés Perea, James Sands, Keaton Parks, Hannes Wolf, Alonso Martínez, Maximiliano Moralez.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: FC Cincinnati, NYCFC close season series at Red Bull Arena. What to watch for
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