Photo: Provided by FC Cincinnati
FC Cincinnati is heading to the MLS Cup playoffs for the first time.
Cincinnati's sports teams have been making history lately.
The Bengals recently saw record attendance during a home game, the Reds beaned the most batters over a 100-loss season, and now FC Cincinnati is going to the playoffs for the first time.
The Orange and Blue went into the record books with its 5-2 win on the road over D.C. United on Oct. 9, clinching its first spot in the Major League Soccer Cup playoffs. FC Cincinnati became the 24th team to enter the MLS as a professional soccer team in 2019. Before that, the team played in the second-division United Soccer League (USL) from 2016 to 2018.
FC Cincinnati scored four of its five goals in the first half of the final regular-season game, marking another new franchise record. The team effort was propelled by a hat trick from Brenner (born Brenner Souza da Silva), along with attacks and assists by Luciano Acosta and Brandon Vazquez. Brenner has scored three goals in three games, the most of anyone in the league during the 2022 regular season.
Acosta, FC Cincinnati's captain and attacking midfielder, scored once and notched one assist, leading the league with 19 assists now. Vazquez, a forward, also scored once but added three assists, becoming only the second FC Cincinnati player to do so (Acosta had the honor first on Aug. 6 this season). Acosta and Vazquez both were selected for the MLS All-Star Game earlier this year.
No. 5 seed FC Cincinnati will play round one of the MLS Cup playoffs against the No. 4 seed New York Red Bulls at noon Oct. 15 in Red Bull Arena in New Jersey. The playoff winner will face Philadelphia Union in the Eastern Conference semi-finals. There then will be a finals round, followed by the crowning matchup. See the full 2022 MLS Cup bracket on the MLS website.
Cincinnati ended its regular season with a 12-13-9 record – much better than the six or fewer wins the team had earned during each of the previous three seasons since 2019.
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