New York City FC respond in “do-or-die” Game 2 vs. FC Cincinnati

New York City FC entered Game 2 of their Round One Best-of-3 Series against FC Cincinnati knowing they needed a win to keep their Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs dream alive.

Battling before a strong home crowd Saturday at Citi Field, NYCFC jumped out to a 2-0 first-half advantage behind Alonso Martínez and Thiago Martins. A trademark Luca Orellano screamer halved the deficit as Cincinnati piled on the pressure in the second half, but Santiago Rodríguez’s stoppage-time penalty put the game away and completed the 3-1 upset victory.

“In football, when you’ve got pressure, you’ve got to be able to bend but not break,” NYCFC head coach Nick Cushing said after the final whistle. “You’ve got to be able to take the knocks when they score to get back in the game.

“We’re a team that wants to play with the ball, but when you’re under pressure against a team that is free and has nothing to lose, you’ve got to make sure that you come up with big moments.”

After the Cityzens avoided elimination, midfielder James Sands demands a similar performance in next Saturday’s decisive Game 3 at Cincinnati’s TQL Stadium (4 pm ET | MLS Season Pass).

“We knew this match was do-or-die for us,” said the homegrown standout. “The way they play, they tend to go man against man across the field. The game turns into a lot of individual battles, a lot of duels, and just being up for those was a big part of our success tonight.

“We’re going to need a similar type of effort next week.”

Though NYCFC’s three-goal performance offered a welcome contrast from their two previous matches, where they were shut out by CF Montréal (2-0) on Decision Day and Cincy (1-0) in Game 1, the club’s defensive stalwarts were at the center of it all.

Goalkeeper Matt Freese impressed with four crucial saves, while center back Thiago Martins capped off a man-of-the-match performance with a well-timed arrival at the back post to score NYCFC’s second goal.

“[Martins] has been an absolute warrior for this football club this year,” Cushing said. “It’s so hard for me to say ‘best player’ or ‘most committed player’… but…