I you had told me going into a match with CF Montreal that they’d end in a shut out loss I would be hesitant to believe you. The ONE team that NYCFC has faced with overwhelming success over the years has been Montreal, going 13W-2L-5D and 6W-1L-4D when playing north of the border. And with a possible 4th place on the line the club from the Bronx laid an egg in a disappointing 2-0 loss and, instead of landing in 4th, found themselves dropping to 6th in the East, forcing a 3 game matchup against FC Cincinnati, a team that ended the season at 59 points. So, with the playoffs set, what can we expect from the team with a 9 point improvement over last season? Let’s roll.
10 QUESTIONS/STATS
1) What Will NYCFC Face With Cincy Game One? This is weirdly interesting, as Cincinnati in fact has the third WORST record at home of any team in the playoffs (both leagues), amassing juts 24 points in their 17 home matches (by comparison, NYCFC had 33). Playoffs are a different beast, but I’m sure NYCFC Head Coach Nick Cushing will be bringing this up to his players.
2) What Is the Key To NYCFC’s Success? Stop Lucho Acosta. Acosta is responsible for 14 goals and 19 assists on the season and is responsible for 57% of the team’s 58 goals. Additionally, Cincinnati is 4W-10L-5D this season when scoring one goal or less.
3) What Else? Score first. In 10 of Cincinnati’s 11 losses, the opposing team scored first.
4) What Else Else? Martinez & Rodriguez bring it. Alonso Martinez and Santiago Rodriguez were a stellar tandem this season, accounting for 28 of the team’s 54 goals, with Martinez picking up 16. Additionally, NYCFC is 7W-2L-2D when Martinez scores.
5) How Will Matt Freese Handle Things? It’s been 3 years since Matt Freese started a playoff game, in the famous/infamous Covid match of the 2021 Eastern Conference Finals while with the Philadelphia Union. Freese has matured greatly since that match and I expect will be called upon to be an absolute leader to a team that has little MLS playoff experience. Freese is a quiet leader in the back, often taking a very Zen approach to the back end and that calm will be required against an experienced FC Cincinnati squad.
6) Where Will NYCFC Play It’s Home Match? Earth…maybe? That’s about all I can give you right now. 2027 can’t come fast enough for fans when it comes to this nomadic team. With the Yankees moving onto the World Series, signs would likely point to RBA or Citi Field, the latter if the Dodgers knock out the Mets which, as of this writing, LA holds a 3-2 lead in the series. Should LA win, then NYCFC should be expected to play it’s home match at Citi Field.
7) If NYCFC Gets Swept, Does Nick Cushing Keep His Job? I would believe so. Cushing has never REALLY been embraced by the fanbase but he’s made the playoffs in 2 of the 3 years he’s been on the sidelines and landed in a playoff spot despite the youngest team in the league, as mentioned picking up 9 more points than last season. Losing to Montreal was a bit of a black mark at the end of a solid season and a 3 game losing streak to end the season will only piss off the fanbase further. But despite that, I don’t see the team changing from him although I could also see him starting the year again on the hot seat, as 2025 it’s ECF or bust I think.
8) If NYCFC Beats Cincy, Then What? Most likely, it’s road trips the rest of the way. Miami & Columbus will be rough to beat in a best of 3 and I’ve felt since I saw the clinic that the Crew put on in Leagues Cup that the Eastern Conference would go through Columbus. This makes for an uphill climb, as although NYCFC has been better this season than last when it came to road games, their record isn’t stellar.
9) What Do I Describe As a Successful Season? I feel beat Cincy. Move onto the next round and show that you belong in the conversation for the ECF in 2025 with an added year of maturity for the squad. If they fall short, I don’t see just getting back into the playoffs as a success. Basically what the NY Giants did back in 2022 when they beat the Vikings in the playoffs on the road, although I have far greater hope & faith in NYCFC than I do in the Giants and Daniel Jones.
10) What Do I Expect From This Series? If NYCFC is going to take this, I feel it needs to be in a sweep. If this series goes back to Ohio then Cincy will take it. NYCFC needs to pull out a win in the first one and finish it at home, regardless of what borough/state/multiverse it will be in. Cincinnati is 11W-4L-2D on the road but that I feel will be offset by the NYCFC crowd making game 2 even. We’ll see, but I can’t wait. LFG!
About the author – Scott Churchson is the head honcho and occasional toilet cleaner for Stream Punk Entertainment. He’s also been an actor in every way for the past 14 years, from BG to stand in to stunts and principal, a sports writer for the past 4 and is one of the people that created Stream Punk Entertainment. He’s married to a veterinarian, has a cat with three working legs and is just a simple man trying to make his way in the universe.