NYCFC ahead MLS Playoffs 2024
New York City FC Head Coach Nick Cushing
On being back in the playoffs and thoughts on Cincinnati…
“First and foremost were incredibly excited to be in the postseason. To be in the playoffs, it was the minimum target that we set…We’ve improved from last year in the sense of getting in the playoffs, but the other side is we’ve hit the sort of expectation of where we believe we are as a football club and where we should be. So, I’m really excited, but it is a difficult opponent, a team that we’ve played three times already…We know it’s going to be difficult, but this is the exciting part of the season and we’re going to embrace that.”
What changes in the playoffs in terms of preparation and mentality…
“I definitely think it is a different mentality going to play football [in a playoff setting]… Playoff football is very similar to Leagues Cup football. We used Leagues Cup [to prepare] and I communicated a lot to the group around how especially the knockout round in Leagues Cup…it was a real good opportunity to experience – lose and you’re out, win and you’re through… So, we’ve got good experience with this group initially, but you have to go into a mindset where you got to play your best football. You have got to embrace the pressure, be ready to absorb the difficult moments, and make sure that you capitalize on the moments where the game swings for you. I say again, you just got to go embrace it.”
New York City FC Midfielder Hannes Wolf
Thoughts on the playoffs, and who from the team has helped him acclimate him to the playoff format…
“I’m excited. This [format] is new for me because in Europe you don’t have playoffs. We worked very hard to come to this point, and I can’t wait to get it started…We have a lot of players who have already played in previous playoffs, and some of the players who won the MLS Cup [in 2021]. Head Coach [Nick Cushing], has been speaking of it since we realized we had a good chance to reach the playoffs… We know what the playoffs will look like, there will be different atmospheres in the stadiums and a lot of exciting games. We want to [advance] as far as possible.”
On the emergence of Santiago Rodríguez, Alonso Martínez, and himself this season…
“The lineup changed [throughout the season], but I think since the last couple of months it kept getting better and better because you need a little bit of time to build some chemistry. Especially with Santi [Santiago Rodríguez], Maxi [Moralez], and Alonso [Martínez], who scores a lot of goals.”
Key Points
First Meeting in the Postseason
New York City FC will face third-seed FC Cincinnati in the first round of the 2024 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs Best-of-3 Series, with the first match at TQL Stadium.
These two sides faced off twice this year in the MLS regular season and once in group stage play of this year’s edition of Leagues Cup.
In MLS play, New York and Cincinnati split the series, winning one game each, with the home team winning on both occasions.
In Leagues Cup play, Cincinnati claimed victory in their match with the ‘Boys in Blue’, winning 4-2 at TQL Stadium.
In the two games played against FC Cincinnati this season in regular season play, Midfielder Santiago Rodríguez scored one goal and collected one assist.
Forward Alonso Martínez and Defender Mitja Ilenič both scored one goal against Cincinnati this season in league play, while Midfielder Maxi Moralez collected one assist.
In Leagues Cup action, Rodríguez scored yet again for New York, along with Forward Jovan Mijatović, scoring one goal each, while Moralez added to his assist tally, with one assist in the match.
Goalkeeper Matt Freese has faced 11 shots on goal this season from Cincinnati in MLS play, making eight saves.
New York City FC has never played FC Cincinnati in the postseason, but the ‘Boys in Blue’ lead the all-time series in MLS regular season play.
New York has a record of 7-3-2 (W-L-D) in regular season history, scoring 31 goals and conceding 19.
Away from home against the ‘Orange and Blue,’ New York City FC has a record of 2-2-1 (W-L-D), scoring ten and conceding ten.
New York’s two losses to Cincinnati have come in the last two matches played at TQL Stadium in league play (a 1-0 defeat on 3/23/2024 and a 3-0 loss on 8/26/2023).
At TQL Stadium, New York has a record of 1-2-1 (W-L-D), scoring six and conceding nine.
Moralez is currently the all-time series leader in assists against FC Cincinnati, with ten assists.
Moralez has recorded three assists in a single game against Cincinnati on two occasions, marking the highest number of assists in a single match against FC Cincinnati in New York City FC history.
Freese has played 401 minutes against FC Cincinnati in his career, facing 23 shots and making 16 saves.
In the 12 matchups between the two teams, New York City has scored at least one goal in 10 of those games, boasting a record of 7-1-2 (W-L-D). When they score two or more goals, their record improves to 7-0-1 (W-L-D). Additionally, New York City has kept a clean sheet twice, while Cincinnati has held them scoreless on two occasions.
Regular Season Overview
New York City FC heads into the postseason in fine form, winning three of their final five matches of the regular season.
In the last five regular-season games this year, New York had a record of 3-1-1 (W-L-D), scoring 12 goals and conceding seven.
New York came into the final game of the regular season undefeated in the four previous matches before losing to CF Montreal on Decision Day.
Despite the loss, the ‘Boys in Blue’ still earned ten points in their final five matches, tied for the third-most points earned in the last five matches for New York City FC (2022, 2019, 2016).
Looking at the entire season, New York City FC took 475 shots (13th most in MLS), with 164 shots on target (16th most in MLS).
New York ranked tenth in xG this season (61.50), creating 39 clear-cut chances all year (tied for 13th most with D.C. United).
Of the 39 clear-cut chances created, the ‘Boys in Blue’ converted 17 of those chances into goals (tied for 14th most with the San Jose Earthquakes and the Red Bulls).
When it comes to possession, New York had an average of 51.85% possession in league play this season (seventh best in MLS).
New York City FC played a total of 16,360 passes this season. Of the 16,360 passes, 13,828 were successful passes (tenth most in MLS).
New York made 802 aerial challenges this season (13th most in MLS). Of the 802 aerial challenges, New York City FC won 402 of those aerial challenges (13th most in MLS).
On the defensive side, New York tied for fourth place this season in the league when it came to balls won (171), along with Atlanta United and Chicago Fire FC.
The ‘Boys in Blue’ made 303 clearances (14th most in MLS).
New York conceded 49 goals in MLS play this season, tied for ninth least in the league, along with Inter Miami CF, Atlanta United, Minnesota United, and the Vancouver Whitecaps.
New York’s opponent xG came in at 53.18 this season, 11th least in the league.
Goalkeeper Matt Freese finished this season with 121 saves in MLS play, tied for third place with Charlotte FC’s Kristijan Kahlina and six short of second place John McCarthy of the LA Galaxy.
His saves this season are the second-most a New York City goalkeeper has had over a single season. Freese was short three in tying Josh Saunders’s record (124).
Freese was the best in the league when it came to preventing rebounds off of saves, with the Pennsylvania native making 72 saves in which he held on to the ball, three clear of second-place Brad Stuver of Austin FC.
Continuing on an individual level, Alonso Martínez ended the season with 16 goals. This is the fifth most goals scored by a New York City FC player in a single season in club history.
Martínez is also the third player in club history to score 16 or more goals in a single season, joining Valentin Castellanos and David Villa, who accomplished this feat on three occasions.
Additionally, he is ranked second in the league for goals per 90 minutes (0.96).
Midfielder Santiago Rodríguez has a team-high 22 goal contributions this season (12 goals, 10 assists) for the club, while Forward Alonso Martínez has 19 (16 goals, 3 assists). New York City FC has never had multiple players record 20 or more goal contributions in a single regular season.
Rodríguez’s 10 assists this season makes him the seventh New York City player to reach 10 or more assists in a single season. Having recorded 13 assists in 2022, Santiago Rodríguez is one of four players to accomplish this feat.
Playoff Past
This marks the eighth appearance for New York City FC in the MLS postseason, as they aim to replicate their journey to the MLS Cup from the 2021 season.
In MLS playoff history, New York City FC has a record of 6-7-3 (W-L-D), scoring 23 goals and conceding 27.
Only three current New York players have had goal contributions in the postseason, including Maxi Moralez (five goals, six assists), Santiago Rodríguez (one goal, four assists), and Defender Tayvon Gray (one assist).
Moralez is currently the club’s all-time leading scorer in MLS Playoffs (5), all-time leader in assists (6), and all-time leader in goal contributions (11).
New York City FC’s highest winning margin in MLS postseason play is three, coming in a 3-0 win for the ‘Boys in Blue’ over Inter Miami CF on October 17, 2022, with Moralez scoring once in that game and Rodríguez assisting twice.
New York’s highest losing margin in postseason play currently stands at five, when the ‘City Boys’ were defeated by Toronto FC, losing 5-0 in the second leg of the 2016 MLS Cup Playoffs on November 6, 2016.
The most goals New York has scored in a single postseason match is three, on three separate occasions (3-0 vs. Inter Miami on 10/17/22, 3-1 vs. CF Montreal on 10/23/22, and 3-1 vs. Philadelphia Union on 10/31/18).
The most goals New York has conceded in a single postseason match is five, coming in the loss to Toronto on November 6, 2016.
New York City FC has kept three clean sheets in playoff matches, with the last clean sheet coming in the victory against Miami in 2022.
The ‘Boys in Blue’ have been held scoreless in the postseason three times, with the last scoreless match coming on November 4, 2018, in a 1-0 loss to eventual champions Atlanta United.
The most goals New York has scored in a postseason is seven, happening in both the 2022 and 2021 postseason.
The most goals New York has conceded in a postseason is also seven, taking place during the 2016 MLS postseason.
In the three draws New York has had in postseason play, the ‘Boys in Blue’ have won two of the penalty shootouts.
Both penalty victories took place during the MLS Cup winning season in 2021, defeating the New England Revolution 5-3 on penalties and defeating the Portland Timbers 4-2 on penalties to secure the club’s first MLS cup.
FC Cincinnati v. New York City FC
Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs Round One Best-of-3 Series
Date: Monday, October 28, 2024
