The dust has settled on Decision Day and the MLS Cup Playoff picture for New York City FC is now clear.
New York City's 2-0 loss in Montréal meant the team finished in Sixth Place in the Eastern Conference, unable to climb as high as Fourth and grab home-field advantage in the opening round. The chance was there, as the result NYCFC needed – Orlando City losing to Atlanta United – arrived, but a loss in Montréal nullified that.
Nick Cushing's team will now travel to take on Third Place FC Cincinnati in the best-of-three Round One of the MLS Cup Playoffs. Cincinnati and New York City appear set to kick off their series on Saturday, October 26 at TQL Stadium at a yet-to-be-announced time.
As of now, it's unclear where New York City would host Game Two of this best-of-three – the Major Leauge Baseball playoffs are ongoing and both the New York Yankees and Mets are alive and chasing spots in the World Series, which could jeopardize the availability of both of NYCFC's preferred home stadiums, Yankee Stadium and Citi Field.
The World Series begins on Friday, October 25, which is right when Round One is set to kick off around MLS. It's still possible Red Bull Arena could end up being the venue of NYCFC's playoff meeting with Cincinnati – pending how far the city's baseball teams make it.
The final details – dates, times, and in the NYCFC home match's case, location – of the entire best-of-three round remain unconfirmed, though the MLS website is the place showing October 26 as the start date for Cincinnati-NYCFC. This post and the below graphic will get updated when it's confirmed when and where each of the three potential matches will take place.
• Game One: FC Cincinnati vs New York City
Saturday, October 26, Time TBD at TQL Stadium
• Game Two: New York City vs FC Cincinnati
Day/Time/Venue TBD
• Game Three (if necessary): FC Cincinnati vs New York City
Day/Time TBD at TQL Stadium
NYCFC finishing in Sixth and facing off against Cincinnati was rated as a low-probability outcome heading into Decision Day. The website PlayoffStatus.com rated it as a 19% likelihood that New York City would fall behind Charlotte FC in the table on the season's final day.
That required New York City to suffer a first-ever loss in Montréal, and for DC United to lose at home while being in a position to clinch a playoff spot of their own.
Charlotte beat DC United handily, 0-3 at Audi Field, and didn't just jump New York City. Dean Smith's team also ended DC's season and helped Atlanta United FC squeeze their way into the Eastern Conference's Ninth and final playoff place on goal differential.
That's an Atlanta team that this season has fired both its coach, Gonzalo Pineda, and its technical director, Carlos Bocanegra, while selling off star attackers Giorgos Giakoumakis and Thiago Almada.
Hudson River Blue Staff
New York City's loss meant the winning home team emphatically clinched a spot in the Wild Card round, with the three points ensuring Montréal also claimed Eighth and the right to host that win-or-go-home match against Atlanta United on October 22.
Montréal striker Josef Martínez, who scored the second goal to defeat NYCFC and give him six goals in his last five regular-season appearances, now gets to face the Atlanta team he spent six seasons (and won MLS Cup) with in a knockout match at his new Canadian home.
NYCFC will now turn their attention back to FC Cincinnati, an opponent they'll face at least two more times after playing them three times already this season between MLS and Leagues Cup play.
One of the worst losses of this New York City FC season occurred at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati, with a 2-0 NYCFC lead as of the 78th minute squandered in what would eventually end up a 4-2 Cincinnati win.
New York City earned its only win of the 2024 season against one of the top three teams in the Eastern Conference – Inter Miami CF, Columbus Crew, and FC Cincinnati – by beating Cincinnati at Red Bull Arena on Matchday 32.
Cincinnati has been dominant in recent head-to-head meetings with New York City. Since Pat Noonan became Cincinnati's head coach heading into the 2022 season, Cincy has a 5 W-2 D-1 L record against Nick Cushing's NYCFC in all competitions.
While Cincinnati has come out on top in many of the recent meetings with NYCFC, Pat Noonan's team enters the playoffs fighting off a slump.
Going into Decision Day, Cincinnati had been winless in four matches and had suffered three straight losses. Their 2-1 away win in Philadelphia to close out the regular season might have steadied things a bit, but they were not lighting the league up as the playoffs approached.
New York City had been hot until this uninspired Decision Day defeat in Montréal, and now they'll travel back to the state of Ohio for a fifth time this season looking to pull off a MLS Cup Playoff upset against the team that won last season's Supporters' Shield and has the reigning MLS MVP, Luciano Acosta, leading its attack.
