The international break came at a good time for FC Cincinnati and the New York Red Bulls.
Cincinnati was pleased to head into the pause after a win, while the Red Bulls saw this as a chance to recharge and refine their training. The two teams, each with two wins, will meet on Saturday in Harrison, N.J.
FC Cincinnati (2-3-0, 6 points) faced tough losses, including a 6-1 defeat against the New England Revolution on March 15 and a 5-1 loss to Mexico’s Tigres UANL on March 19, which led to their exit from the CONCACAF Champions Cup. Goalkeeper Roman Celentano allowed all 11 goals before getting injured in training.
Evan Louro stepped in as goalkeeper, helping Cincinnati secure a 4-3 victory over CF Montreal on March 22. Despite being down a player due to Miles Robinson’s red card in the 60th minute, Tom Barlow equalized the game in the 80th minute, and Kevin Denkey scored the winner in stoppage time.
“It’s better to go through the break with three points,” Louro stated this week. “The mood is a bit better… Our group does well at staying grounded, focusing on what we need to do for the next game.”
It’s unclear who will start in goal on Saturday, Celentano or Louro. Both Louro and defender Matt Miazga are from New Jersey and were part of the Red Bulls’ youth system, giving this match a personal touch. Barlow also spent time with their organization from 2018-2023.
New York’s first-year coach, Michael Bradley, mentioned, “This area is special. The soccer community here is tight and strong. The connections are few.”
The Red Bulls (2-2-1, 7 points) have struggled after a strong start. They suffered a significant 6-1 loss to Charlotte FC before the break.
“We’ve had moments where we’ve performed well and moments where we’ve fallen short,” Bradley noted. “At times, we’ve been punished for not capitalizing during our dominant play.”
He highlighted Cincinnati coach Pat Noonan and midfielder Evander, who is still looking for his first goal this season after scoring 18 last year.
Cincinnati will need to keep an eye on rookie star Julian Hall, who has scored four out of New York’s five goals.
“The energy in training was good, and the effort was there,” Noonan said. “Now we need to connect everything and perform in the next 24 hours.”
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