FC Cincinnati delivered a much-needed home win on Saturday night, taking down the visiting New York Red Bulls 2-0 in front of another sold-out crowd at TQL Stadium. It was the first time since March 15 that Cincinnati scored first, a sign of the better starts Pat Noonan has been looking for.
Noonan said afterward, “We were pushed. It was a great night for the guys in the locker room. Two very different halves. They caused us a lot of problems, and I am pleased with how the guys solved those problems and kept a clean sheet.”
Cincinnati controlled the first half but struggled to maintain the same play after the break, but the team held on behind their defensive play and keeper Roman Celentano. “We could not break pressure enough,” Noonan said. “We did not find enough moments to get out in transition or maintain possession like we did in the first half. When we could not get that right, we had to defend.”
After nine first-half chances, Cincinnati finally broke through. Kevin Denkey tapped in a simple finish after Pavel Bucha drove down the left side of the box and delivered a perfect cross. The play started with a perfectly placed long ball from Dado Valenzuela.
Cincinnati kept the pressure on to close the half, and a drive from Evander drew a penalty inside the box. Denkey converted from on the penalty kick to make it 2-0.
Andrei Chirila made his first MLS start after scoring earlier in the week at NYC FC, and he was quite impressive, centering the back-end trio.
“His passing range in the first half was excellent. When pressure came, he knew when not to pass,” Noonan said. “He took a touch, picked his head up, and played passes over distance that caused problems. For a young kid, understanding when to keep it simple is important.
In the second half, the game sped up. He had to defend more and make decisions in the box. That was growth. He was thrown into a position where we are comfortable with him, but there were players ahead of him. He put his head down, worked, and stayed confident. When he is called upon, he steps in and makes a positive impact.”
Cincinnati now sits at 12 points in the Eastern Conference, good for ninth place. Next match is on the road at the Chicago Fire next Saturday at 7:30 PM ET.
“It is our responsibility to bring life to them (the fans). If there is no energy or conviction in our play, it is hard to bring that out. Even when performances dip, the crowd is always impactful,” Noonan said. “They recognize good actions, not just goals. In the first half, when we played out of pressure and switched the play, you could feel the energy. When the game turns, and you have to defend, they lift you.”
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