A quick turnaround from Saturday's Hudson River Derby meant New York City FC was back at Red Bull Arena for a midweek meeting with FC Cincinnati, a match NYCFC won 3-2 on goals from Mitja Ilenič, Alonso Martínez, and a converted penalty from Santiago Rodríguez.
There wasn't much sign of a hangover from that 5-1 win over the Red Bulls, with a slightly rotated lineup getting a 16th-minute goal from Ilenič, his first-ever NYCFC goal, to set the tone for the evening. The second half was a goal-fest, each team scoring twice, but NYCFC held on for a vital three points to remain in Fifth Place in the MLS Eastern Conference with two matches to play.
This was New York City's first win over Cincinnati since 2021, and this represented something of a statement against a squad that NYCFC might face again come MLS Cup Playoffs time.
• Alonso Martínez's goal was another clinical finish — he's El Clínico, after all – and he's now scored 15 goals this season.
• Nervy finish to this one, as Cincinnati got a second goal halfway through 13 minutes of second-half stoppage time, but never found an equalizer.
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