Cincinnati rallies, stuns Red Bulls with stoppage time winner

ByReuters ESPN logo
Thursday, July 13, 2023

Obinna Nwobodo scored the game-winner in stoppage time as FC Cincinnati earned another one-goal victory by rallying late for a dramatic 2-1 victory over the host New York Red Bulls on Wednesday night in Harrison, N.J.

Luciano Acosta converted a penalty kick in the 80th minute to knot the game at 1-1. Nwobodo tallied in the 93rd minute to earn the win for Cincinnati.

FC Cincinnati (14-2-6, 48 points) ended a season-worst, three-match winless skid by rallying for its 13th one-goal win.

Nwobodo got his second career goal by being opportunistic. After Acosta's corner kick was deflected away by goalkeeper Carlos Coronel, the ball caromed off Matthew Nocita to Nwobodo.

Nwobodo put a right-footed shot from the middle of the box into the bottom right corner well before Coronel could react in time.

Acosta scored his 11th after Cincinnati was awarded a penalty kick.

New York's Kyle Duncan fouled Santiago Arias as both players were going for the ball in the 77th. Initially FC Cincinnati was awarded a corner kick but following a video review, a penalty kick was granted, and Acosta easily leveled the match by blasting a right-footed shot into the bottom left corner.

Omir Fernandez scored on a penalty kick in the 28th for the Red Bulls (6-8-8, 26 points).

Cincinnati goalie Roman Celentano made one save as the Red Bulls had eight shots miss the net.

Coronel made one save as Cincinnati had two shots miss the net and two others get blocked.

The Red Bulls capitalized on a miscue by FC Cincinnati to get an easy opening goal.

In the 26th, Nick Hagglund was defending Kyle Duncan in the left corner but was called for a hand ball, resulting in a penalty kick.

Fernandez easily scored when he finished off a right-footed shot by blasting the ball into the right corner as Celantano dove to his left.

After allowing the tying goal, New York missed three chances to regain the lead.

In the 82nd, Frankie Amaya missed the net following a corner kick and two minutes later Dante Vanzeir also missed the net. In the 86th, Nocita missed the net from about six yards out when his header sailed wide.

--Field Level Media