In an exhilarating showdown at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey, Cincinnati FC emerged victorious over the New York Red Bulls, securing their spot in the MLS Cup Eastern Conference semifinals. The clash was a rematch of their earlier encounter at TQL Stadium on October 29, and once again, the visitors prevailed. Despite losing the US Open Cup semi-finals to Inter Miami, they are determined to get over the line in this tournament.
The first half saw a breakthrough just before halftime when Tom Barlow, donning the Red Bulls' colors, found himself near the six-yard box after a shot from outside the box. Unfortunately, he couldn't fully control the ball, but it was enough to open the scoring.
Cincinnati, with Gabon's Aaron Boupendza, entered the stage as a substitute for Dominique Badji in the 34th minute. Boupendza made an impact, netting the equalizer in the 75th minute. Assisted by Lucho Acosta, Boupendza fired a left-footed shot that left Red Bulls' goalkeeper Carlos Coronel with no chance.
The match took an even more dramatic turn when a VAR review disallowed a late goal for the visitors, and a decision met with strong objections.
With the new MLS rules dictating a tiebreaker through penalty kicks, both teams had their moments. Luciano Acosta, Yuya Kubo, Brandon Vázquez, and Álvaro Barreal converted for Cincinnati. At the same time, Omir Fernández, Frankie Amaya, Sean Nelis, and Cameron Harper found the back of the net for the Red Bulls.
Santiago Arias and John Tolkin made crucial saves, leading to sudden death. In the end, Junior Moreno scored the decisive penalty for Cincinnati, while Andres Reyes missed, sealing the home team's defeat.
Cincinnati FC now eagerly anticipates the outcome of the other Eastern Conference clash between the Philadelphia Union and the New England Revolution. The ‘Zolos' hold the upper hand after a 3-1 victory at Subaru Park on October 28.
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