FC Cincinnati returns to TQL Stadium for the first time in 32 days as they face New England Revolution 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 14.
The match will be the first of six over a 18-day span. The first three are at home, counting Columbus Oct. 18 and D.C. United Oct. 21 as the Orange and Blue fight for a playoff spot in the MLS Eastern Conference.
“It’s nice to be in front of these fans again as the temperatures start to drop a little bit,” said head coach Pat Noonan. “You start to see these temperatures for game day not so drastic, not so warm. So it will be, I think, favorable for the fans as well to fill the building and bring the energy like they always do. So, now it's our job to go and perform.”
A look at FC Cincinnati’s opponent, New England Revolution
Cincinnati is currently in ninth place in the Eastern
Conference with 36 points and a 9-9-9 record. They would currently play Red Bull New York in the wild-card play-in game. They are one point behind seventh-place Orlando, three ahead of New York City, and four ahead of D.C. United with a game in hand on all of them.
New England has consistently been near the top of the East all season. They have 46 points (14-10-4) and are in fourth place.
Since the World Cup break, the Revs are only 6-5-3, but that includes an 0-4 mark against Western Conference teams, the last a 3-0 home loss to Seattle Oct. 10. Weirdly, New England is 1-5 this season against the West but 13-5-4 against the East. They are 5-7-2 on the road.
Those wins include a 6-1 romp over Cincinnati March 15 at Gillette Stadium, a game Noonan said has no bearing on the upcoming one. Cincy had two days rest and New England 15.
“We had a bad game,” Noonan said. “I know we had some rotation on that day but that hasn't been something that is a part of this conversation for this game. We weren't very good on the on the night, and New England was.”
New England is third in the East in goals allowed with 39 and eighth in goals scored with 45. They are led by perennial MVP candidate Carles Gil. The 33-year old Spaniard has 12 goals and eight assists.
“For me, one of the best players in this league for the last decade, and ever with Carles,” Noonan said. “I have so much respect for his play, his leadership. He's been outstanding and so he kind of dictates a lot of the success of their group as far as the flow of the game and that's something that we need to be prepared for and try to limit.”
New England has a deep team, according to Noonan.
“it's because they do a lot of things consistently well, and New England's been one of those teams for me that defend in a good way, attack in a good way,” he said. “They can score with set pieces. They can score with individual talent. Good physical presence on the back line, on the flanks. I think good technical players, again. And well coached.
FC Cincinnati player availability
Evander missed the Atlanta game with a minor injury but was in full training Oct. 12.
“He'll be kind of a game time decision just to see how we get through these next two days,” Noonan said. “But the fact that he's in training today, and we get to see him kind of progress in a way that this will be the most that he's done since the injury.”
Center back Miles Robinson will be out for at least two weeks after taking an injury in Atlanta. Cincinnati will play four games in the next two weeks, then travel to Miami to face Lionel Messi and company Oct. 28.
Obinna Nwobodo had some discomfort and cramping against Atlanta and was subbed for in the second half, but Noonan said he’s good to go.
New acquisitions Tyrell Malacia and David Doudera started on the wings, and Julian Malatini came off the bench to play in the back in the middle of the second half.
The three new players helped spark the win. Noonan said there’s no guarantee they will see similar minutes on the field against New England because none of them are in full in-season fitness and their minutes may have to be managed with Cincinnati’s compressed schedule.
“All of them are in a position that they could start. Now, how long? How do you manage it knowing that it's going to be game after game after game?” Noonan said. “We have an idea, but we also just need to go and win games. So, we'll try to think of what the best starting point is for our group and how that involves them.”
La Salle grad Kyle Smith notches 200th MLS appearance
Kyle Smith, a La Salle graduate in his first year with Cincinnati, played his 200th career MLS game after starting in the back line against Atlanta. Tom Barlow, who had a goal and two assists in the game, also notched his 200th appearance.
Smith’s experience on defense helped limit Atlanta to one goal, and Noonan praised how he broke up an Atlanta transition moment to help Barlow score the go-ahead goal in the second half.
“Positioning,” Noonan said. “How he defended direct play. How he defended the box, how he read the game, he obviously had the assist on the second goal because of positioning and how he defended forward in that moment. That's a lot of the plays that he made.”
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: FC Cincinnati continues playoff push by hosting New England
