CHESTER — For the second straight season, FC Cincinnati and the Union will meet in the MLS Cup playoffs. With the common DNA that connects clubs who have won three of the last four regular-season Eastern Conference titles, it has all the makings of an emerging rivalry.
The games between them have generally lived up to that standard.
“I think we all have the same preparation in wanting to win against them,” Union defender Jack Elliott said Tuesday. “There’s a little extra, too, because I think it’s slowly becoming a rivalry. It’s always intense and can always have big moments and explosive moments. I think it’s about having the right start, being up for the game and not letting it boil over too much.”
Cincinnati enters Saturday’s Eastern Conference semifinal (8 p.m., AppleTV) as the top seed and Supporters’ Shield winner. General manager Chris Albright and newly crowned MLS Coach of the Year Pat Noonan, both Union alums, led the perennial bottom-feeder to the playoffs last year and to its first trophy this year.
Their games have often been memorable. Last year’s playoff game was won in the 59th minute by Leon Flach’s only goal of the season. Cincinnati drew in Chester, 2-2, on Sept. 16, the Union squandering a 2-0 halftime lead to kick off a stretch of five straight draws. The Union lost to Cincinnati, 1-0, on April 8, a game sandwiched between legs of the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals against Atlas in which the Union didn’t have their strongest squad available but piloted a 3-5-2 formation that became a viable alternative in the second half of the season.
Cincinnati avoided defeat in its two meetings with the Union in the 2022 regular season, tearing them apart, 3-1, at TQL Stadium on Aug. 6. The Union drew with Cincinnati on June 18 in Chester, 1-1.
The teams share plenty of personnel connections. Albright acquired Sergio Santos from the Union, though the Brazilian forward has slid to fourth on the depth chart. Either Ray Gaddis or Alvas Powell will likely play a major role in Saturday’s game, with Cincinnati down two center backs in Nick Hagglund (injury) and MLS Defender of the Year Matt Miazga (suspended).
In addition to being two of the best teams in the East since the beginning of last season, the clubs are also two of the most secure in their on-field identities. Noonan’s personnel has flourished in the 3-5-2, allowing MVP favorite Luciano Acosta free rein to pull the strings beneath of a forward pairing of Brandon Vazquez and either well-traveled MLS veteran Dominique Badji or talented but volatile DP striker Aaron Boupendza. The latter changed the last meeting between the teams when he was subbed on at halftime.
The Union have returned to principles with the 4-4-2 diamond. They pride themselves on being tough to break down, and Saturday’s affair will come down to the individual matchups the tactics dictate. Jose Martinez will be shadowing Acosta. Elliott and center back partner Damion Lowe will be responsible for neutralizing the forwards. Daniel Gazdag will have to push his way past the defensive midfield presence of Obinna Nwobodo, who is working back from an injury.
“At this point, most every team knows how every team plays,” Elliott says. “I think it’s all about just winning individual battles all over the field. I think that’s what decides the game. It’s most likely going to be one moment that wins it. I think that’s what we always have to keep in mind.”
Both teams enter this round of the playoffs having swept their best-of-3 first-round series, the Union over New England, Cincinnati over the Red Bulls. Consequently, they’ve endured lengthy layoffs through the November international break, 21 days for Cincy and 18 for the Union.
Jim Curtin’s stock response about Cincinnati, in addition to fondness for his work with Albright and Noonan, is that both teams bring out the best in one another. For all the mysteries that the MLS Cup playoffs bring – the new formats, the layoffs, the international-break challenge – both teams have the power to deliver consistency in their performances. That’ll be the hope of both coaches for Saturday’s encounter.
“It’s always the height of an athlete’s career to test themselves against the best,” Elliott said. “I think these sorts of games always bring the best out of our players. Hopefully we can match up to that this weekend.”
