- Cincy win opener at home
- Barreal scores twice
- Two teams to meet again at Red Bull Arena
TELL ME MORE: The New York Red Bulls controlled the play for much of the first half, but the visitors, fresh off a big win over Charlotte FC in the Wild Card game, were undone by mistakes.
FC Cincinnati struck first in the 23rd minute, as Alvaro Barreal and beat Carlos Coronel on the near post to give the hosts the lead. The lead was then doubled off yet another mistake, as a bad backpass created havoc for the Red Bulls backline. With Coronel well off his line for an attempted clearance, Acosta was able to fire into an open net from 50 yards, giving Cincy a bit of a cushion.
Barreal, though, sealed the win late, scoring his second of game to give Cincy the advantage from this first game of the series.
THE MVP: Barreal was dangerous throughout, and his goals ultimately earned Cincy the win. Acosta gets much of the attention, and rightfully so, and Barreal will hope that'll help him fly under the radar even as he scores goals as he did on Sunday night.
THE BIG LOSER: It was a rough day for Andres Reyes, whose header backwards directly led to Acosta's goal. It's the type of mistake you can't make in the postseason, especially on the road against the best team in MLS.
Next Match
WHAT NEXT?The two sides will meet again on Saturday at Red Bull Arena. If the Red Bulls were to win, they would then face off in a decisive Game 3 on November 11.
MATCH RATING (OUT OF FIVE): ⭐⭐⭐