FC Cincinnati was 16 minutes away from losing the first playoff match in its history, but a late rally helped keep the Orange and Blue alive while also dooming the New York Red Bulls to their latest home playoff disappointment.
Brandon Vazquez’s 86th-minute winner completed a late FC Cincinnati rally, and the visitors weathered 12 minutes of stoppage time on the way to a 2-1 victory over the Red Bulls at Red Bull Arena.
Luciano Acosta converted a 74th-minute penalty for the equalizer before Sergio Santos found Vazquez in stride with a perfect long pass and Vazquez did the rest, beating Aaron Long and finishing past Carlos Coronel for the winner, securing a place in the Eastern Conference semifinals for the Lions in their first playoff appearance.
FC Cincinnati will now face the Philadelphia Union on Thursday at Subaru Park in the East semifinals.
The Red Bulls and FC Cincy played a goal-less first half before Lewis Morgan delivered a stunning opening goal in the 48th minute.
FC Cincinnati appeared to snatch an equalizer in the 61st minute when Junior Moreno pounced on a rebound and blasted it home, but a VAR review determined Geoff Cameron was offside on the playoff, wiping out the goal.
The Red Bulls let the visitors back in the match just 10 minutes later when Andres Reyes fouled Alvaro Barreal in the penalty area. Luciano Acosta converted the penalty kick to swing the momentum of the match.
Vazquez did the rest, racing past Long and latching onto a perfectly-placed pass from Santos before finishing excellently for the winning goal.
FC Cincinnati will now face a Union side that finished first in the Eastern Conference and comes in rested, having had a bye into the East semifinals.
The Red Bulls are done for 2022, enduring another brutal end to a season, failing to win a playoff match for the fourth straight season, and eighth time during their current run of 13 consecutive playoff qualifications.
Long, Zimmerman, and Morris seasons all finished. What happens if Dallas and Miami lose Monday? Yedlin, Ferreira, and Arriola would all be out too. I understand there will be a camp but a camp with 6 to 8 guys and no competitive matches how does that keep them ready.
Johnny R—- you know just as well as everyone elese—- all those dudes you mentioned are going to the WC. Their performance at the end of the season is meaningless—- I wish I were wrong, and hope that I am— but the wrirting is on the wall for the roster. Barring injury— those dudes are going.
But you also look at Brooks isn’t playing, Richards isn’t playing, De La Fuente is injured, Ledezma gets very few minutes, De La Torre isn’t playing. The competition to those guys aren’t playing either. I’d say Yedlin’s competition is Shaq Moore who is out as well. Arriola and Morris would seem to be competing and they could both be out. Tillman has seen his numbers heavily reduced. Sands isn’t playing.
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Zimmerman and Ferreira I think are locks. If Richards can’t get healthy I think Long is in, but this should give CCV the path to a starting position. I think one of Arriola or Morris gets in unless Berhalter takes a flyer on a guy like Paredes he’s only getting 10-20 mins but he’s played in 5 of last 6 Bundesliga matches. Reynolds is playing well in Belgium but it took so long for him to back into form that he missed the summer window.
Well the Tillman comment didn’t age well. I’m not sure dribbling in a straight line with four defenders running with you but making no attempt to tackle the ball or knock him off his path for 50 yards is applicable to the NT.
What difference will this make? Not much difference. You usually have a month off before WC’s anyway. Players playing until 10 days before the WC are at risk.
I mean I guess but you also usually have friendlies in those breaks leading to World Cup. I think it makes a bigger difference to for MLS players where there is so much more time and space to adjust back to NT level when you haven’t played competitively for over a month. I’m also not sure how productive it will be with 5-10 guys training together. Or are we bringing guys like Williamson, Lleget, and Zardes who are unlikely to make the roster but will fill out the team to practice. If that’s the case then if FCC goes out on the 20th does Vazquez get brought in?
Thanks for the FCC story Ives! The club has an amazing story for its short history.
Bring Vasquez to the WC. Why not, what have you got to lose. If someone else – any of the current pool of forwards – had locked down the position, it would be a different story, but not one of them seized the opportunity to make the position theirs.
Brandon Vasquez …….the kid just can’t stop scoring!
Tolkin taking set pieces was the best thing about this match for me.
Would like to see Tolkin head to Salzburg or maybe the Netherlands or Belgium in January.
Why most of us don’t want to see Long starting for the USMNT. That was horrible defending on Vazquez.