NYCFC suffers the worst loss of the season against FC Cincinnati in the Leagues Cup

On Monday, New York City FC played their second and final game in the group round of the Leagues Cup.  The Pigeons already knew they were in the Round of 32, but wanted to finish on top of the group.  To do that, they had to beat FC Cincinnati, who they had not beaten since 2021.

Nick Cushing put out a strong Starting XI, illuminating he wanted to earn the win.  He also gave Jovan Mijatović the start as the striker.  This showed he trusted the Serbian to try and grab his first goal for NYCFC.  His quality on the pitch is always on display, but he was without a goal heading into this match.  Still, everyone knows his potential, and it was thought the Leagues Cup would be a great place to remind everyone why he was signed.

Meanwhile, there was a notable absence from the team sheet: Talles Magno.  It is rumored that the Brazilian will be on his way out, so fans should expect that announcement in the coming days.  Then, Kevin O’Toole was back on the bench, which is a good sign for the left-back. He later came on a sub.

Did Cushing’s players do their job?  For 79 minutes, they did.  A late collapse saw NYCFC fall 4-2.  It was a shocking and terrible loss that must not be repeated again.

NYCFC falls to FC Cincinnati after giving up a 2-0 lead

At first, FC Cincinnati dominated the game. It took about 15 to 20 minutes for NYCFC to show up.  Afterward, they started to maintain more possession and create attacking sequences.  Despite the Orange and Blue’s early attack, the Boys in Blue scored first in the 25th minute.

Julián Fernández made a good run to get himself in the box, maneuvering around defenders.  He passed the ball to Maxi Moralez in the center of the box, who then sent it to Santiago Rodríguez.  The midfielder was in a perfect spot just to the left of the goal.  With room in front of him, he shot the ball into the opposite corner of the goal, putting his team ahead 1-0 on the first shot.

From that point on, the two teams shared periods of offensive play.  After NYCFC scored, they should have had another goal or two.  However, Cincinnati’s goalkeeper, Paul Walters, had other ideas.  He made four saves after the initial goal, with three coming at the end of the first 45 minutes.  In other words, he kept the home team in the match. Little did the team know these saves would haunt them later.

In the second half, NYCFC came out with plenty of energy, but Cincinnati eventually took over for some time.  That changed though around the 60th minute when Cushing brought on his substitutes.  Then, the home team gave too much room in front of the goal, and the Pigeons scored the second goal in the 61st. 

Christian McFarlane took his shot on goal, a weak shot right toward Walters.  The keeper made a mistake and spilled the ball from his hands.  Mijatović had moved to the left of the left-back, on the prowl for a shot.  That mistake was exactly what the Serbian needed, for with one touch he smashed the ball on an angle into the top right corner of the goal.  This was his first goal for the club, and he rewarded Cushing's decision to start him.

Still, while the Serbian’s time on the pitch ended earlier than expected due to a possible concussion, he did play extremely well.  He had four shots, including his goal, and tried to create chances for his teammates.

The evening was not over though, and things turned sour.  Cincinnati got one back in the 79th minute when Pavel Bucha scored.  That sparked life into the home team, and they scored the tying goal a few minutes later.  The Pigeons tried to regain possession in their own half but failed to do so.  This gave room on the left side of the pitch, Yamil Asad’s fancy footwork created space in the box, and then his shot went in with ease.  Poor defensive work led to the tying goal.  And it was a poor defense that caused NYCFC to lose.

The Bronx team fell asleep.  Cincinnati recognized their opponents were suddenly playing poorly, so they took advantage.  The winning goal was scored in the 86th minute by Yuya Kubo when he scored from outside of the box.  Luis Barraza could not get a hand on the ball, and the Pigeons faltered.  As known, they would eventually go on to lose 4-2.

NYCFC was in the driver’s seat for 79 minutes.  They just had a little longer to go.  But what happened?  The changes made by Cushing were not bad.  Rather, it was like a switch went off.  The Boys in Blue forgot to play football, and they allowed four goals from the 79th minute to the 89th. 

Answers are needed, for this might be the worst loss of the season.  NYCFC is moving on, but this loss was an absolute travesty.