Cincinnati Heads to Yankee Stadium Looking to Prove Two Draws Actually Mean Something

FC Cincinnati is about to walk into one of the toughest places in MLS to get a result, and honestly, the Reds need this one. New York City FC is sitting at 3-3-2 with 11 points after dropping a 2-1 loss to Charlotte FC last Saturday, and they haven't won in their last four league matches. For Cincinnati, it's the same brutal road record: 0-3-1 away from home this season. When these teams meet Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium, one of them has to break through.

NYCFC Looking for Answers After Winless Streak

The hosts are spiraling, but head coach Pascal Jansen isn't panicking. After the loss to Charlotte, he told reporters the performance was solid even if the result wasn't. "We played a good game. It was a tough result, but game-wise, strategy-wise, play style-wise, it was a good game from our side, but unfortunately not good enough," Jansen said. "But it's something that helps you go forward into the next sequence of games."

The one bright spot for NYCFC has been Nicolas Fernandez, who scored in the third minute of second-half stoppage time on Saturday. He's already at six goals in eight matches this season, matching his entire goal total from last year in just eight appearances. Fernandez knows what's at stake. "Every year, I set myself a target of what I want to achieve. Luckily, it's been happening this season. Just have to continue on that streak," he said.

Cincinnati Found Something in the Draw, But Pat Noonan Wants More

Cincinnati (2-4-2, 8 points) grabbed its second consecutive draw Saturday at home against Chicago Fire, battling back from a 3-1 halftime deficit to tie it 3-3. Evander converted a penalty kick in the 79th minute, and Dje D'Avilla's own goal seven minutes later helped complete the comeback. It's the kind of resilience that should give Cincinnati something to build on.

But head coach Pat Noonan made it clear Tuesday that looking good isn't enough anymore. "Play-wise, there's been a lot of positives, but now that needs to translate into the wins," Noonan said. "I've been more pleased in the last two games with some of the overall play despite those results not being what we'd like."

One more thing working against Cincinnati: NYCFC posted a pair of 1-0 victories over the Reds last season. Reversing that trend Wednesday would be huge.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.