FC Cincinnati storms back against RBNY for 14th win of 2023 | Replay
HARRISON, New Jersey – In very different ways, Pat Noonan and his father, Peter Noonan, were very much present during FC Cincinnati's match against the New York Red Bulls even though neither one was physically inside Red Bull Arena.
Pat Noonan, FC Cincinnati's head coach, was in Missouri Wednesday with his family for the funeral of Peter Noonan, who died July 3. But the two men were as good as on the bench or in the stands because FC Cincinnati had both in mind throughout a rousing, come-from-behind, 2-1 victory.
Afterward, FCC players, coaches and other staffers said the win was unquestionably dedicated to Pat Noonan and his family, and the memory of Peter Noonan.
“We think a lot about Pat. Pat knows that this team is with him. We’re united with him,” FC Cincinnati captain Luciano Acosta said afterward. “We’re thinking about also his situation. We know it was a very tough situation for him to be in last game, so the three points were dedicated, for sure, from the team to Pat.”
More: How FC Cincinnati honored the memory of Peter 'Big Pete' Noonan against Charlotte FC
More: FC Cincinnati: Dominic Kinnear to lead team at RBNY in Pat Noonan's absence
After a come-from-behind, 2-2 draw at Charlotte FC on Saturday in which the memory of Peter Noonan also served as ample motivation for Cincinnati players, Wednesday’s win was another worthy tribute to the man affectionately known to many as “Big Pete.”
After falling behind in the 28th minute via an Omir Fernandez penalty kick, FC Cincinnati surged throughout the second half and eventually found goals in the 80th and 93nd minutes of the game.
A video-assistant referee (VAR) review produced a penalty-kick opportunity that Acosta pounded him for his 11th goal of 2023. The goal marked the most goals Acosta said he’s ever scored in a single season for any club.
“I’m very happy for the 11 goals but as well for the three points,” Acosta said via a team interpreter. “It’s very important to get these points, especially on the road, to distance ourselves from the second-place team.”
Then, in second-half added time, FC Cincinnati defensive-midfield stalwart Obinna Nwobodo sent a shot through a crowded Red Bulls penalty area. The attempt wasn’t necessarily well-placed or well-hit, but it beat a diving Carlos Coronel to put FCC on top with just seconds remaining.
The FC Cincinnati bench erupted in celebration. Some Cincinnati players on the field dropped to their knees and pointed to the sky. And somewhere in the St. Louis region, Pat Noonan was surely celebrating, too.
With Pat Noonan absent from the game, two-time MLS Cup-winning head coach and FCC assistant coach Dominic Kinnear took on head coaching responsibilities for the match.
"That's an easy question to answer. I know he was happy," Kinnear said, laughing. "We talked once today right before we got on the bus to get to the stadium. He said, 'look, you guys have done this before. Go with your heart. Go with your gut'... After the game I spoke with him a little bit and I'm sure, when the final whistle was blown, he was thrilled and super happy. When I talked to him about 10 minutes later he was still the same way.
"We all wish he was here but we're happy we could give him a victory to come home to, as well."
Noonan is scheduled to return to the club for its Thursday training session at the Mercy Health Training Center in Milford. FCC will quickly turn its attention to Saturday's match against Nashville SC at TQL Stadium in a matchup of Supporters Shield hopefuls.
The 7:30 p.m. Cincinnati-Nashville game is already sold-out, the club announced earlier Wednesday.
“Great win for the group. Obviously, I’m sitting here because Pat’s away. We wish he was here and I know the players definitely put on a great performance for him,” Kinnear said afterward. “It’s a great win for us. Puts us on, I think, 48 points, increases the lead at the top of the table for now. Just the spirit of the group, the fight of the group… I thought we came out and played better in the second half. The (substitutes) made a huge impact, I thought. Got us going forward a little more.
"I didn’t see the goal but I think it was, maybe, a little bit of fortune there leading to the winning goal.”
With one match remaining prior to a month-long break from MLS regular-season play for the first-ever Leagues Cup, FC Cincinnati ended a three-match winless run and improved to 14-2-6.
Now on 48 points in the Supporters Shield standings, FCC increased its lead atop MLS from seven to eight points. Second-place New England Revolution are on 40 points via their 11-4-7 record.
Juggling coaching responsibilities
Kinnear said Pat Noonan gave instructions for Wednesday's match to the assistants on his staff on Monday. General Manager Chris Albright told The Enquirer that discussion was preceded by days of talks between himself and Pat Noonan.
There were scenarios were Noonan might have attempted to rejoin the club for the RBNY match, but those plans were ultimately abandoned, Albright said.
Pat Noonan instead watched the match from Missouri. That allowed him to be around family and friends all day. Albright said that outcome was an appropriate and correct one in the circumstances, but Pat Noonan still involved himself in the match just outside New York City.
Communications and insights on the game from Pat Noonan were relayed by Albright and an analyst to the FCC locker room at halftime. But Pat Noonan also instructed his staff to act on their own instincts and observations as they were the ones actually attending in-person.
"In the end we felt that this is why we've hired the staff that we have," Albright said. "(Kinnear) has multiple championships and Kenny (Arena) and those guys, there's a lot of MLS experience that we have in the building... I thought Dom was awesome tonight. That's why we hired him. He's a steady hand but also made some in-game adjustments that really won us the game."
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HARRISON, New Jersey − Welcome to Cincinnati.com's live coverage of FC Cincinnati versus New York Red Bulls at Red Bull Arena. Refresh this page throughout the match live updates and analysis, and follow Enquirer FC Cincinnati beat reporter Pat Brennan on Twitter for further updates (@PBrennanENQ).
A stunning, last-gasp winner for FCC (90+3)
FC Cincinnati completed its comeback in stunning fashion with Obinna Nwobodo poking home the eventual game-winning goal through a crowded RBNY penalty area. Red Bull Arena is stunned. Cincinnati might be a little stunned, too.
Lucho to the rescue (80')
Santiago Arias was tripped up in the RBNY penalty area and, after a video-assistant referee (VAR) review, a penalty kick was awarded. Luciano Acosta stepped up and hammered his take home for 1-1. The goal saw Acosta reach a new single-season career best in scoring with 11 goals.
A change in midfield (46')
Junior Moreno replaced Malik Pinto in one of the midfield positions to begin the second half.
Halftime: Red Bulls on top
New York edged Cincinnati in the first half by virtue of Omir Fernandez's penalty-kick goal. Beyond that, it was a pretty even 45 minutes.
Red Bulls on the board (28')
Omir Fernandez banged home a penalty kick after Nick Hagglund was whistled for a handball in the penalty area in what appeared to be a pretty innocuous sequence.
Underway at RBA (3')
It's steamy at Red Bull Arena tonight. Former FCC player Hassan Ndam has a yellow card early, so that will be interesting to watch him manage.
Pre-match news
FC Cincinnati announced at around 6:40 p.m. that head coach Pat Noonan would miss the match and assistant coach Dominic Kinnear would manage the team against New York Red Bulls. Noonan was in Missouri on Wednesday for his father's funeral. More here.
Noticeably absent from FC Cincinnati's dress list for the game is designated player and striker, Aaron Boupendza. Head coach Pat Noonan and GM Chris Albright were non--committal about Boupendza's status for this match throughout the week, which was Boupendza's first with his new teammates since his summer transfer to the club.
Starting lineups for FC Cincinnati, RBNY
FC Cincinnati starting lineup: Roman Celentano (GK), Alvaro Barreal, Alvas Powell, Yerson Mosquera, Nick Hagglund, Ray Gaddis, Obinna Nwobodo, Malik Pinto, Marco Angulo, Luciano Acosta (captain), Quimi Ordonez.
FC Cincinnati bench: Alec Kann (GK), Joey Akpunonu, Santiago Arias, Sergio Santos, Stiven Jiminez, London Aghedo, Bret Halsey, Ben Stitz, Junior Moreno.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: FC Cincinnati storms back against RBNY for 14th win of 2023 | Replay
