Cincinnati Leapfrog Red Bulls to Grab Spot in MLS Knockouts

FC Cincinnati's Allan Cruz in 2019. Photo by Kevin Schultz/CSM/Shutterstock (10234747ao)

FC Cincinnati secured a place in the Last 16 of the MLS is Back tournament following their emphatic 2-0 victory over the New York Red Bulls.

Cincinnati started the day in third place on the Group E standings, while the Red Bulls were sitting in second place thanks to a superior goal difference. This meant that a win was crucial in order for Cincinnati to progress in the competition.

While some third-placed teams will earn a place in the knockout stages, NY Red Bulls will not be one of those teams due to their goal difference of minus three.

The game featured plenty of action, with New York Red Bulls taking a massive 19 shots. The team from the Big Apple remained in the drivers’ seat for much of the match, retaining a whopping 68% possession throughout the 90 minutes.

Despite their dominance, it wasn’t meant to be for the Red Bulls as they failed to find the back of the net. On the other hand, Cincinnati made the most out of the few chances they had, scoring two goals after managing just four goal attempts all night.

Yuya Kubo grabbed a 42nd minute lead for the underdogs, after which their lead was doubled in the 56th minute thanks to an own goal by Florian Valot.