FC Cincinnati’s struggles on defense and on the road continued in a 4-2 loss at Red Bull New York April 4 at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, N.J.
Cincinnati drops to 2-4-0 for the season, staying at 6 points. RBNY improves to 3-2-1 for 10 points.
Cincinnati missed several great scoring chances during the game, and had 2.8 expected goals to 2.0 for the home team. RBNY was credited with 19 shots to 16 for Cincinnati.
But the home team took advantage of defensive breakdowns on three of the goals, and got a key score on a long free kick by veteran captain Emil Forsberg.
Cincinnati is now 0-3 on the road in Major League Soccer play, and has lost four straight counting a 5-1 loss to Tigres in the Concacaf Champions Cup. Cincy has allowed 15 goals in its last three road games, and 18 in its last four overall.
“A game where there was a lot of attacking opportunities for both teams,” said FC Cincinnati head coach Pat Noonan. “They took their chances better than we did, because there was certainly enough out there as far as our attacks and moments to finish plays off, and they got more of those moments.”
Julian Hall, an 18-year old rising star for the Red Bulls, scored his fifth goal of the season. He beat the defense and tapped it in from close range after a crossing pass by Cade Cowell from in the 12th minute.
Pavel Bucha, who was in Prague four days ago with Czechia qualifying for the World Cup, scored on a rocket from just outside the box in the 17th minute. It was his first goal of the season.
In the opening minutes of the second half, captain Emil Forsberg scored on a free kick from 25 yards. He fired a shot that clipped the bottom of the crossbar and stayed behind the goal line for his first score of the season.
In the 53rd minute, Ender Echenique picked the pocket of a RBNY player and raced forward for a one-on-one chance with goalkeeper Ethan Horvath. Horvath forced Echenique to chip the ball over him and the ball just missed wide right.
Kevin Denkey missed in the 60th after a cross from Bryan Ramirez, volleying the ball over the crossbar. Horvath made a great save on Evander in the 62nd minute after Cincinnati’s star fired from the middle of the 18.
Denkey also missed on a header in the 64th minute.
RBNY took a 3-1 lead in the 66th minute when Cowell beat two defenders on the baseline and fired a cross to Hall on the opposite side. Kyle Smith got a foot out to deflect the ball and it went in for an own-goal.
Smith got the goal back in the 73rd minute. The La Salle grad scored his first goal in his hometown uniform after fellow Cincinnati native Nick Hagglund took a long throw-in from the sideline. The ball deflected off the head of RBNY player and to Smith in the middle of the goal box. It is his fifth career MLS goal.
Cincy just missed an equalizer moments later when Kenji Mboma Dem, who had just come into the game, just missed wide on a header off a corner kick from Evander.
Cincy had a couple of great chances later but could not finish.
Mohammed Sofo, a 21-year old, scored from close range in stoppage time.
Forsberg’s free kick goal came at a confusing moment, as he was allowed to retake the kick after misfiring initially, but play had stopped because an RBNY player was too close to the wall. Hagglund felt Forsberg should not have been allowed to retake the kick, and he thought Smith was being fouled on the own-goal. But he didn’t make excuses.
“I feel like there’s a part of it is unlucky, but I also feel like you create your own luck, so there’s stuff like silly turnovers, or someone gets beat on the dribble, and now we’re in trouble,” Hagglund said. “I’m a guy that really believes in creating your own luck, so I can’t really say exactly what we need to do other than, you know, being more cohesive and, front to back, be together.”
Alvas Powell drew a red card late in stoppage time by denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity, and will be suspended for the game in Toronto April 11.
“It’s probably our best attacking performance of the year in regular season play,” Noonan said. “Defensively, we obviously are leaking too many goals, and that’s happening in a variety of ways. Their speed along the front line causes problems with our personnel tonight, which we knew would be a challenge if the game got opened up. The final action, defensively and defending the box. I think we put too much pressure on Evan (Louro) and our back line.”
Cincinnati tweaked its formation, putting Echenique in the back line and having four in the back.
Evander had one of his most effective games creating chances. He has yet to score this season, but Noonan praised his progress.
“He’s got plenty of chances to score, but I think we’re accustomed to seeing him finish off plays and that isn’t happening in the moment,” Noonan said. “That happens to every player at different stages of the season and their career. So, a little rut, as far as the goal scoring right now, but if you see the chances that he was in tonight … we’ve got to put our heads down continue to work, and see if we can get him in those spots consistently.”
What’s next for FC Cincinnati?
Cincinnati plays at Toronto FC 1 p.m. Saturday, April 11. It’s a rematch of a 1-0 Toronto win at TQL Stadium March 8. Toronto (3-2-1) has won two straight, and rallied from 2-0 down to beat Colorado 3-2 earlier today.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: FC Cincinnati loses to Red Bull New York
Reporting by James Weber, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
