NYCFC concede 4 goals in 11 minutes in historic collapse to FC Cincinnati

New York City FC found themselves in a unique spot heading into Monday night's tilt against FC Cincinnati at TQL Stadium. With their penalty shootout "win" against Querétaro FC last week, NYCFC needed either a win in regulation time or via a penalty shootout in order to earn the top spot in the group.

Head Coach Nick Cushing rolled out a rotated lineup that featured the likes of Jovan Mijatović, Luis Barraza, and Justin Haak, which seemed to be working well. Cincinnati looked disorganized and sloppy, while New York City was playing with swagger and confidence in every drive up the pitch for most of the game.

With goals from Santi Rodríguez and Mijatović, NYCFC led 0-2 with less than 15 minutes to play. But a complete collapse from New York City saw Cincinnati score four goals in 11 minutes and ultimately steal the victory, claiming the top spot in the East 1 group.

It was a historic collapse for New York City: Never before had the club conceded so many goals so quickly.

It was only the 15th time in club history that New York City conceded four or more goals. The last time that happened was on June 29, 2022, when Cincinnati came from behind to draw New York City 4-4.

Opening goal switches momentum

NYCFC did not start the night off on the front foot against Cincinnati. Barraza, who was named the starting goalkeeper ahead of Matt Freese for New York City's Leagues Cup campaign, was forced into two saves in the opening 10 minutes.

The offense was troubled as well, as NYCFC went without a shot for the first 25 minutes of the match. But then New York City's leading goal scorer, Rodríguez, found the back of the net with the team's first attempt of the night from a well-worked play.

Barraza lifted the ball diagonally to Julián Fernández, who did well to drag defenders out of position and play it over to Maxi Moralez. Moralez passed it to Rodríguez, who hit it first time into the bottom right corner of the net for the lead.

Teamwork makes the dream work 🤝 pic.twitter.com/3L8KrKUfE3

— New York City FC (@newyorkcityfc) August 6, 2024

Despite the poor start, NYCFC now had a road lead against one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. It could've been an even bigger lead if it weren't for the heroics of backup Cincinnati goalkeeper Paul Walters in his first-ever start for the First Team. Walters made a total of seven saves, denying the likes of Christian McFarlane, Fernández, Rodríguez, and Moralez.

After the opening goal, Walters made several saves, and New York City led 1-0 at halftime, a rare but promising advantage that proved to be futile later on.

Jovan gets his goal

Considering that NYCFC was already through to the knockout rounds of Leagues Cup, it was clear that Cushing would give some players a rest, especially those on minute restrictions. This allowed Mijatović to play, making his third New York City start since arriving in the winter.

In the few chances Mijatović was given this season, he looked out of place. The Serbian striker, who joined NYCFC for a reported $8.6 million from Red Star Belgrade, was not living up to the price tag and left fans wanting more from him.

Mijatović had a golden chance to score his first New York City goal in the 40th minute, as Rodríguez dribbled past three Cincinnati defenders before lifting the ball in behind to Mijatović, but his shot blew past the right post.

But that wouldn't be the last chance that fell to Mijatović. Fifteen minutes into the second half, a Walters save off a McFarlane shot rebounded directly to the feet of Mijatović, who blasted the ball into the top corner of the net to open his NYCFC account.

THE BOY FROM BELGRADE LEAVES HIS MARK IN CINCY 🇷🇸 pic.twitter.com/gbesMaPT1B

— New York City FC (@newyorkcityfc) August 6, 2024

After the game, Cushing praised Mijatović's quality and believed the team missed his energy once he came off the pitch in the 71st minute.

With that goal under his belt, we'll likely be seeing more of the 19-year-old playing up top.

4 Goals conceded in 11 minutes

It was going well for NYCFC up until the 79th minute, when Cincinnati substitute Pavel Bucha pulled a goal back for the home side. That started a complete transformation of the game that saw Cincinnati take full control and score a total of four goals in 11 minutes. The home crowd at TQL Stadium that had been silenced by NYCFC's earlier play were now on their feet and cheering, as Cincinnati came to life offensively.

Cincinnati head coach Pat Noonan's substitutes were the key to those goals. All four of their goals came from players off the bench, with Bucha and Yamil Asad coming on minutes after Mijatović's goal.

Cushing also adjusted his side late in the second half, bringing on Mitja Ilenič, Keaton Parks, and Kevin O'Toole to serve as defensive substitutions. This failed miserably, as Cincinnati easily broke through New York City's backline on every goal.

Birk Risa stood out as a cause for concern, as he was caught ball-watching on the final two goals. Thiago Martins struggled to close down open Cincinnati attackers quickly, and Ilenič looked out of position, allowing players to find space in behind. Barraza struggled in goal, diving late on some of the shots.

Yuya made it three! pic.twitter.com/VbtFxat73m

— FC Cincinnati (@fccincinnati) August 6, 2024

In his post-game press conference, Cushing said that the team was not resilient enough, allowing Cincinnati to easily come back into the game. He went on to say that the important thing is that the team does not let this happen again.

SERGIO WITH THE CHERRY ON TOP 🍒 pic.twitter.com/ij4TLTfElS

— FC Cincinnati (@fccincinnati) August 6, 2024

Despite not winning their Leagues Cup group, NYCFC is still through to the Round of 32 and will play either New England or Mazatlán FC on Friday. The venue for the match is still up in the air as well, as it could be either in Foxborough at Gillette Stadium or at Red Bull Arena.