Red Bulls keep playoff hopes alive with 2-1 victory over Cincinnati
CINCINNATI — Frankie Amaya and Elias Manoel scored five minutes apart early in the first half and the New York Red Bulls kept their playoff hopes alive with a 2-1 victory over FC Cincinnati on Wednesday night.
A loss to the Supporters' Shield winners would have eliminated the Red Bulls (9-13-10) from the postseason. New York made the playoffs in 23 of its previous 27 seasons and it has not missed postseason play since 2009.
Amaya used an assist from Lucas Lima Linhares (Luquinhas) to score for a fifth time this season, giving the Red Bulls the lead in the 12th minute. Manoel took passes from defender John Tolkin and Luquinhas and scored his third goal of the season to make it 2-0 in the 17th minute.
Cincinnati (19-5-8), which clinched its first Supporters' Shield with a 3-2 victory over Toronto last time out, cut its deficit in half on Luciano Acosta's penalty-kick goal in the 68th minute. Acosta's 16th goal this season gives him a one-goal lead over Atlanta United's Giorgos Giakoumakis and Nashville's Hany Mukhtar, the reigning MVP and defending champion, in the race for the Golden Boot.
Alvas Powell received a red card for a second yellow-card infraction, forcing Cincinnati to play a man down from the 88th minute through 10 minutes of stoppage time.
Carlos Coronel finished with one save for the Red Bulls. Alec Kann saved three shots in his first start of the season for Cincinnati.
Entering the match, the all-time series was tied at 4-4-4. None of Cincinnati's four wins have come at home. The Red Bulls are 3-0-1 in their four trips to Cincinnati.
Cincinnati had the fewest points from 2019-21, its first three seasons in the league.
New York held Cincinnati to eight shots. The Red Bulls have lost 11 matches this season when holding its opponent to less than 10 shots. No other team since 2010 has had more than eight such losses.
The Red Bulls return home to host Toronto FC on Saturday. Cincinnati travels to play Inter Miami on Saturday.
