When FC Cincinnati took the field last Saturday, it was with the same Starting XI that defeated New York City FC the previous Monday 1-0. Cincinnati head coach Pat Noonan, who never used the same lineup twice during the 2024 Major League Soccer regular season1, decided to ride a hot hand and start the same squad that outplayed NYCFC in the first Round One game of the 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs.
New York City head coach Nick Cushing made three changes to his Starting XI. A match-fit Maxi Moralez took his place in the center of the midfielder, shifting Santiago Rodríguez to the left and Andrés Perea to the bench. Mijta Ilenič started at right-back in the place of Tayvon Gray, who was suspended after earning a straight red card. And Justin Haak was paired with Thiago Martins in central defense, replacing a Birk Risa who looked a little off in recent weeks.
The impact of Cushing's changes was apparent a few minutes into Saturday's game at Citi Field. A team that looked devoid of attacking ideas on Monday were testing Cincinnati's midfielders and defenders, and a New York City defense that looked incoherent in Game 1 were now impenetrable. All that would change after halftime, when Cincinnati grew into the game and came close to stealing a result, but the first 45 minutes belonged to New York City.
In no small part that's because NYCFC contained Cincinnati playmaker Luciano Acosta, handing the 30-year-old his worst outing in 2024 as a starter against an MLS side per FotMob.
Luciano Acosta | MLS Cup Playoffs Round One
| Game 1 | Game 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| xG + xA | 1.14 | 0.79 |
| Chances | 7 | 1 |
| Passes | 32 | 29 |
| Pass % | 86% | 69% |
| Touches | 66 | 71 |
| Dribbles | 3/4 | 3/8 |
| Corners | 8 | 1 |
| Ground Duels | 9/14 | 5/14 |
| Defensive Acts | 7 | 2 |
| Crosses | 4/6 | 1/5 |
| FotMob Rating | 8.6 | 6.5 |
To be clear, Acosta didn't put up a bad performance. He created one chance, took two shots, and ended the night with a 0.79 xG + xA. If Alvas Powell, the backup striker Noonan brought on in the 76th minute, had been a little less deliberate in front of goal, Acosta might have added another goal and assist to his stats sheet. But it was a subpar night by the lofty standards of one of the most dynamic midfielders in the league — and it was two full steps behind Acosta's performance on Monday, when he created seven chances and was easily the game's best outfield player.
Going into Saturday's game, the directives should be clear for both Cushing and Noonan. Cushing will want to design another game plan that will limit Acosta, who is Cincinnati's engine and rudder, the player who both powers the team's attack and gives it direction. When Acosta is at his best, he's nearly unstoppable. Standing at just 5' 3", Acosta is quick and decisive, and has a knack for picking out a pass that splits the defense and plays the ball into open space: If Acosta is pulling the strings, you always make the runs.
But, as Cushing showed us on Saturday, a dependence on Acosta also makes Cincinnati vulnerable. If Acosta can't pull the strings, the attack falls apart.
Advance man
Acosta might be a No 10, but he likes to hold an advanced position deep in the attacking third. Like Lionel Messi, he conserves energy, and lightly jogs or even strolls around the field when he's not on the ball. But unlike Messi, Acosta rarely tracks back to receive or retrieve the ball in deeper positions.
Instead, Acosta likes to linger in the opponent's half. He's usually on the left, just outside the box, but he sometimes glides to the right. What he rarely does is spend time inside in the middle of the field unless it's a kickoff.
In other words, Acosta needs service.
Luciano Acosta 2024 Heatmap
Lionel Messi 2024 Heatmap
That's unusual for a No 10 in MLS. Other top players at that position, including Evander of Portland Timbers, Santiago Rodíguez of NYCFC, and Facundo Torres of Orlando City operate more centrally. They do as much to recover the ball and link play between the zones as they do to orchestrate an attack.
