New York City FC boss Nick Cushing rubbished rumours linking him with the vacant head coach position with Arsenal women, confirming he would remain in the MLS next season.

Cushing previously spent seven years in charge of Manchester City in the Women's Super League between 2013 and 2020 and has been touted for a return to England with the Gunners after Jonas Eidevall's dismissal last month.

Despite the rumours circulating around his future after leading NYCFC into the postseason, Cushing was quick to deny reports, saying: "I can confirm that I will be back here next year."

The Pigeons travel to the TQL Stadium to face FC Cincinnati this weekend in an encounter that will decide who will advance to the Eastern Conference semi-finals in the MLS playoffs.

Cushing encouraged his players to play their football and dig deep in their pursuit of a victory, adding his side can harness the momentum generated from their 3-1 win in Game 2.

"It's about trying to show our players how much our fans enjoy seeing that type of performance from our players," he said. "Not just the good football and the goals, but the guts and the fight and the desire to ensure that we are the team that goes through the next game right.

"The performance at Citi Field had everything. Not only did we play well and create chances, but the running numbers were excellent, as was the desire to make sure that we didn't give the second goal away.”

"We've got to make sure that we play the football that our fans deserve and that we know we can play, and in the difficult moments, you have to dig deep. We know who we are now. We've just got to make sure that we go prepared, and we deliver everything that we've got.”

Pat Noonan, meanwhile, noted that his side were unable to create clear-cut opportunities against NYCFC, which resulted in defeat last time out.

The Orange and Blue scored 58 goals in the regular season, with only the four sides who finished above them in the East netting more.

But despite their defeat in Game 2, Noonan is confident that his players will respond in their deciding fixture, not wanting to end their season just yet.

"We've created enough chances. These are playoff games. You're not going to score three, four, five goals a game. So sometimes one goal is going to have to be enough like we saw last week," Noonan said.

"I don't expect us to score at ease. That's just not how these games are played. But it was going to take a little bit more, and we just didn't finish some of those moments when it was 2-1 to level it in a better way or in a good enough way.

"I could see it in the locker room. The guys are going to move on from this pretty quickly. For a team that just lost a game, I think they recognise the good and the bad of the game to know they should feel confident going into Game 3.

"So at the moment, I don't think I need to say too much. I think they understand, and we'll just have good conversations about this game and what we think needs to improve when we go back home."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

FC Cincinnati – Luca Orellano

Orellano scored Cincinnati's only goal in their Game 2 defeat to the Pigeons, notching his 13th goal in all competitions this term.

He is the seventh different player to score Cincinnati's last seven playoff goals dating back to last season's first round. Four of those seven scorers hail from Argentina.

NYCFC – Alonso Martinez

Martinez found the back of the net against Cincinnati in NYCFC's 3-1 win in Game 2, taking his tally to two goals in five appearances against the Orange and Blue.

Along with Santiago Rodriguez, either Martinez (nine) or his Uruguayan team-mate (five) have scored 14 of NYCFC's 21 goals in the regular season and playoffs since MLS returned from the Leagues Cup break in August.

MATCH PREDICTION: FC CINCINNATI WIN

Cincinnati's 3-1 defeat in Game 2 was the fifth time they conceded multiple goals in their last seven matches dating back to the end of the regular season.

They are winless when allowing multiple goals in that time (D1 L4) while winning both matches in which they held their opponent under two goals.

NYCFC have won only one of their last 14 away matches in all competitions dating back to late May (D6 L7). Overall, they have won just five out of 40 away matches in all competitions since the start of last season (D15 L20).

The Pigeons' win over Cincinnati last Saturday was their second win of the season over Noonan's side, both coming at home. Cincinnati have won their last five home matches against NYCFC in all competitions, though, including a 1-0 victory in Game 1 of their best-of-three series.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

FC Cincinnati – 50%

Draw – 25.3%

NYCFC – 24.7%

Alex Roldan converted the decisive spot-kick for the Seattle Sounders as they came out 5-4 victors in a penalty shootout with the 10-man Houston Dynamo in the MLS Cup playoffs.

Roldan stepped up to slot home the winning penalty after a 0-0 draw on Monday, putting the Sounders a game up in the best-of-three series.

Adalberto Carrasquilla saw red for his part in a fracas midway through the second half at Lumen Field, where Erik Sviatchenko's miss in the shootout proved costly.

The Sounders were ultimately worthy winners, though, given they had 19 shots to Houston's seven, with the visitors failing to get a single attempt on target and mustering just 0.45 expected goals (xG) before penalties were required.

And Seattle held their nerve in the shootout, converting all five of their penalties.

In Monday's other playoff game, Yamil Asad grabbed FC Cincinnati's winner in a 1-0 victory over New York City FC.

Luciano Acosta, the 2023 MLS MVP, delivered a brilliant cross from which Asad headed home in the 51st minute.

Teenage Hadebe, Luca Orellano and Nicholas Gioacchini squandered chances to put Cincinnati 2-0 up, but NYCFC could not make their luck count, and their frustration was compounded when Tayvon Gray was dismissed for a flailing arm into Acosta's face.

Acosta was excellent throughout, creating seven chances in total and having four shots.

He has now recorded 14 goal contributions in his career against NYCFC (six goals, eight assists).

"I knew [Acosta] was going to play the ball to me," Asad said. "It's too easy to play with him. He's our MVP, he played a great game."

Jim Curtin knows it will be a tall order for the Philadelphia Union to clinch an MLS Cup Playoff place on Decision Day, simply telling his team to do their bit versus FC Cincinnati.

Philadelphia must beat last season's Supporters' Shield winners and hope CF Montreal and D.C. United both lose, to New York City and Charlotte FC respectively, to extend their season.

The Union have only missed the playoffs in two of their nine full campaigns under Curtin, but they are on the brink of doing so following back-to-back defeats to Orlando City (2-1) and the Columbus Crew (3-1).

Ahead of this weekend's Decision-Day clash with Cincinnati, Curtin said: "At this time of year you have to do the little things right and we didn't [versus Columbus].

"It's not in our control anymore, so we'll need some help. What we can control is getting a win at home against a strong Cincinnati team, something we're more than capable of.

"Obviously we've let ourselves down in recent weeks, we've played some great opponents and had chances to get back into games.

"But if we're honest, we were outplayed by Orlando and Columbus, those two teams are a level above us right now. Now it comes down to Decision Day."

Cincinnati have already clinched their playoff place but have suffered three straight defeats to Los Angeles FC, NYCFC and Orlando. 

Speaking after their most recent loss, winger Yamil Asad said he would prefer the Orange and Blue to make their mistakes before the postseason begins.

"This is tough because we are close to the playoffs, this is the third loss in a week," Asad said.

"But I think it's better to happen now and fix all of these bad things that we did and be focused on and keep doing the right things."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Philadelphia Union – Andre Blake

Philadelphia have scored 61 goals but sit below the playoff line entering the final day of the season. 

No team in MLS history has scored 62 or more goals in a regular season and missed the playoffs (35/35 entering 2024).

If they are to sneak into the postseason, they may need a big performance from Blake, whose save percentage of 75% is the second-best of any MLS goalkeeper with at least 10 appearances this year.

FC Cincinnati – Luciano Acosta 

Acosta has recorded 93 goal contributions over the last three seasons (41 goals, 52 assists), more than any other player over a three-season span in MLS history (Sebastian Giovinco – 92 from 2015 to 2017).

MATCH PREDICTION – PHILADELPHIA UNION WIN

Cincinnati enter the final match of the season with 10 away wins already 2024. The most road wins in a single season in the post-shootout era (since 2000) in MLS is 11, set by Montreal in 2022 and matched by Inter Miami this season.

They face a daunting task in looking to match those feats, though. The Union knocked Cincinnati out of this year's Leagues Cup in the last 16 with a 4-2 away win on August 13. 

The Union have taken 10 points from their last five home league games (three wins, one draw, one defeat), scoring 13 times in those matches, and simply must win.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Philadelphia Union – 46.8%

FC Cincinnati – 26.8%

Draw – 26.4%

Nick Cushing credited New York City's resilience after they inflicted a crushing derby loss on the New York Red Bulls, calling on them to carry that momentum into Wednesday's meeting with FC Cincinnati.

NYCFC were routed 5-1 by the Philadelphia Union just two weeks ago, but they responded by thrashing their cross-city rivals by the same scoreline on the road on Saturday.

That result lifted them to fifth in the Eastern Conference and within one win of sealing a playoff place, something their next opponents Cincinnati have already done.

Reflecting on NYCFC's last result, Cushing said: "I've got some things to say about the 5-1 loss. A lot of the way that I see that game is in a boxing metaphor. 

"I know there are many champion boxers that have been champion and have been knocked out in the first round, and they don't retire. They go back to the training ring. 

"They go back to the gym, and they come back and become champions again. It's difficult and you have to accept it. Now our focus turns to Cincinnati."

Cincinnati, meanwhile, have seen their hopes of retaining the Supporters' Shield all but extinguished after losing 1-0 at home to Los Angeles FC last time out.

With the MLS Cup now the Orange and Blue's target, Pat Noonan is focused on getting the best out of star midfielder Luciano Acosta, who has been battling a niggling injury.

Noonan said of Acosta: "The more games he gets, the better going into the playoffs. 

"He's had enough games and been back without physical limitations but obviously he did take that knock.

"A lot of times our attack does go through him and when he's on it, he's on it. It's just about us trying to find good spots for him."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

New York City – Alonso Martinez

Martinez netted twice in NYCFC's derby rout of the Red Bulls last time out, pulling further clear at the top of the club's scoring charts for 2024 with 14 MLS goals. 

He also has five goals in New York's last three regular-season home games, last failing to net in such a match in late June.

FC Cincinnati – Luciano Acosta

Acosta has 28 goal involvements (12 goals, 16 assists) in MLS this season, a tally only bettered by Portland Timbers star Evander (29 – 15 goals and 14 assists). 

No player can match Acosta's 98 chances created in the league this year, though, and he will be key if Cincinnati are to seriously challenge for the MLS Cup in the coming weeks.

MATCH PREDICTION – DRAW

Cincinnati saw their four-game unbeaten run in MLS play (two wins, two draws) brought to an end with their defeat to LAFC last time out. 

They have gone unbeaten through their last five MLS matches against NYCFC, winning three and drawing two while outscoring their opponents 12-6 in those games.

However, NYCFC have only lost two of their last eight MLS games on home soil (four wins, two draws), versus the MLS Cup holders, the Columbus Crew, and the Union. A draw could be on the cards on Wednesday.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

New York City – 36.7%

FC Cincinnati – 37.1%

Draw – 26.3%

FC Cincinnati head coach Pat Noonan expressed the importance of defensive resiliency for their upcoming playoff campaign after battling to a 2-1 win over Minnesota United last time out.

The Orange and Blue are on the road again this weekend as they travel to face Nashville SC, a side they were beaten by earlier in the season to halt a seven-match winning streak.

Having already secured their spot in the playoffs, Noonan placed emphasis on being solid at the back for the remainder of the season, especially in their fixtures away from home.

“Credit to Minnesota, they put a lot of pressure on us, and we relied on the back line to make a lot of individual plays, to defend the box well,” Noonan said.

“That's going to be a recipe for success down the stretch if we want to win on the road in tough games. It's not always going to be with us in control. So (FCC) went about that game in a really good way.

“After a lot of the emotional and physical or emotional highs, and then you know the physical demands and emotional demands of our previous game, to be able to turn it around the way they did, I was really impressed with that.”

Nashville, meanwhile, made it two wins from two after beating Chicago Fire in midweek, with head coach BJ Callaghan earning his first home victory in charge of the Coyotes.

Callaghan’s side currently sit 12th in the Eastern Conference table but are just a point behind Philadelphia Union, who occupy the final playoff position.

The Nashville head coach lauded his players for their recent displays in the MLS and was confident his team are making the right strides in becoming a competitive outfit in the division.

“The players have been tremendous,” Callaghan started. “They have taken information in, and they look to apply it in training – they are working hard every single day.

“We look at it through all the phases of play. We are trying to give them clear roles and put them in the best position possible and I think you are seeing, little by little, improvement from them all.

“They are now making good decisions on the pitch. I am very happy with the progression of the team as we make incremental steps of getting better each week.”

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Nashville SC – Hany Mukhtar 

Mukhtar assisted the only goal of the match in Nashville’s triumph over Chicago on Wednesday.

Since 2021, when the German plays and records a goal contribution, Nashville has averaged 1.99 points per match compared to 0.75 points per match when he plays but isn’t involved in a goal.

FC Cincinnati – Yuya Kubo

Kubo recorded a goal and an assist in Cincinnati’s win at Minnesota on Wednesday.

It was the 32nd time a Cincinnati player recorded a goal and an assist in a regular season match since the start of the 2022 season, tied for the most such individual performances in the league in that time (Portland Timbers).

MATCH PREDICTION: FC CINCINNATI WIN

Cincinnati’s victory against Minnesota was the club’s 27th regular-season win by a one-goal margin since the start of last season. No other MLS team has more than 16 one-goal wins in that time.

However, Nashville defeated this weekend’s opponents in the first encounter between the sides this season after Cincinnati had gone unbeaten in the previous four meetings in all competitions (W2 D2).

As mentioned, the Coyotes have recorded consecutive shutout wins after losing their previous eight regular season matches, allowing multiple goals in all of those. Nashville have not kept three straight clean sheets in a single regular season since doing so in four straight in May 2021.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Nashville SC – 31%

Draw – 25.1%

FC Cincinnati – 43.9%

FC Cincinnati head coach Pat Noonan is striving for consistency from his players after confirming their place in the MLS playoffs.

Noonan’s side were held to a goalless draw against Leagues Cup champions Columbus Crew but have now gone two home games without a victory or scoring a goal.

While securing their spot in the playoffs was something Orange and Blue could have only dreamed of a few years ago, Noonan’s future ambitions for his team overshadowed any celebrations.

“It's hard to do, and we strive for consistency, and consistency for our group and our expectations is to be a playoff team and then be a top seed and be playing games at home in the playoffs,” Pat Noonan said.

“I think we go into this next game as healthy and with as many options as we have had. The goal for us needs to be to maintain that over this final stretch so that we can have consistency with our selection and with our starting 11.

“But I think if we want to have a strong end to the season and have a strong playoff run, it needs to be with players available in depth and competition in our squad. Certainly, that'll be important.”

Minnesota, meanwhile, did their chances of reaching the playoffs the world of good with an impressive 3-1 victory over in-form St. Louis City in their last MLS fixture.

The Loons overcame Cedric Teuchert’s third minute opener to remain ninth in the Western Conference table, bridging the gap between themselves and FC Dallas one place below them.

Head coach Eric Ramsay lauded his side’s display in breaking down St. Louis’ resolute defence, and detailed how his players plan to attack the final games of the season to remain in the playoff picture.

“We want to be a team that can shift between a number of shapes according to the situations we anticipate coming, according to the players that we’ve got in form and available,” Ramsay said.

“We want to be, ultimately, an aggressive team, we want to be a team that can press, can have more of the ball, can steal the ball higher up [the field].

“When you are playing in a back five, that isn’t as easy as it looks sometimes on paper.”

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Minnesota United – Bongokuhle Hlongwane

Hlongwane’s goal against St. Louis last time out was his 10th goal of the season for Minnesota.

In doing so, he became the fifth different Loons player to record a double-digit scoring season and the third in the last three years.

FC Cincinnati – Luciano Acosta

Having struggled in front of goal in their recent MLS fixtures, top scorer and captain Acosta will be key for Cincinnati at Allianz Field. 

But the Argentine comes up against a side he has struggled against in his MLS career, with Minnesota one of only seven teams he is yet to score past.

MATCH PREDICTION: FC CINCINNATI WIN

Cincinnati won their last match against the Loons in May. But Minnesota were unbeaten in the first four meetings between the sides (W3 D1), outscoring Cincinnati, 10-1, in those games.

However, Cincinnati have now lost consecutive regular season away matches after losing only one of their previous 16 on the road in league play (W12 D3). This is Cincinnati’s first set of back-to-back regular season away losses since the start of the 2022 campaign.

But the Loons have struggled at Allianz Field, losing four of their last five regular-season home matches. Prior to this run, they had lost just four of their previous 27 games on home soil dating back to April 2023.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Minnesota United – 31.9%

Draw – 25.4%

FC Cincinnati – 42.7%

Luis Suarez scored the fastest goal in Inter Miami's history as his brace secured a 2-0 win over FC Cincinnati on Saturday.

Though their task was made slightly harder by Tomas Aviles' first-half red card, the hosts cruised to a comfortable victory despite Lionel Messi's continued absence.

It took just 31 seconds for Suarez to get Miami up and running, meeting Marcelo Weigandt's cross with a first-time volley to send it into the bottom-left corner.

And he had his second just five minutes later after a wonderful link-up with Matias Rojas set him up to fire in at the near post.

Aviles received his first booking 11 minutes in and was punished for a needless, clumsy challenge after 42 minutes, resulting in him receiving his marching orders.

Cincinnati tried to use their man advantage to push for a goal in the second half, with Yuya Kubo having the best chance only to be thwarted by David Martinez's block.

By holding out for the win, Miami clinched the team's MLS Cup playoff berth with eight games remaining.

Data Debrief: Records topple for Suarez

Miami came back from the Leagues Cup break in fine form, and now have security after becoming the third-fastest team in MLS history to secure a playoff place.

And it is all down to Suarez's lightning-quick start. As well as scoring the fastest goal in the club's history, he has also netted the most goals in a single season for the Herons (18), overtaking Gonzalo Higuain's tally of 16 in 2022. 

Inter Miami forward Matias Rojas says Lionel Messi continues to have an influence on the side even while out injured, as they prepare for Saturday's huge top-of-the-table tussle with FC Cincinnati.

Having gone out of the Leagues Cup at the last-16 stage, Eastern Conference leaders Miami return to MLS action against a team currently one place and five points behind them.

They will be without Messi for the match, however, with next week's clash with the Chicago Fire seen as his earliest possible return date after he was injured in Argentina's Copa America final victory.

Rojas, who was brought in ahead of the 2024 season and has four league goals for Miami to date, says Messi does not switch off when out of action, however.

"Leo is always there. He watches everything and he talks to us before games," the Paraguayan said.

"He communicates more with those who can speak Spanish, he pays attention to what is happening, and he gives his opinion. 

"We are proud to be there, enjoying these moments with him. Sometimes I talk to my family to realise what is happening, but as I always say, I will not get tired of saying that we share our days with the best player in the history of football. 

"There are no words to describe what I feel every day."

With Cincinnati playing catch-up in the bid to be top seeds, coach Pat Noonan knows they cannot afford to be beaten at Chase Stadium.

"As far as the importance of it goes, with us being behind Miami, the significance of a result is certainly important for the end of the season," Noonan said.

"We're trying to be at home in the playoffs. Right now we're five points behind and trying to close that gap. It'll certainly be challenging to catch them if we don't get a result."

Cincinnati trounced Miami 6-1 on home soil when the teams last met in July, though Gerardo Martino's men were without several key players for that game, and Noonan expects a very different challenge this time around.

"It'll be completely different to our last matchup," Noonan said. "There's six different guys that could be on the field that weren't out there."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Inter Miami – Luis Suarez

Miami have averaged 2.8 goals per regular-season game in 2024 when Messi has appeared, compared to 1.7 without the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner.

Suarez's 12 goals in MLS this year are as many as Messi has managed, and he also scored twice in four Leagues Cup matches during the mid-season break. He will carry the Herons' foremost threat.

FC Cincinnati – Luciano Acosta 

In Messi's absence, perhaps another Argentine can take centre-stage.

Acosta has a league-high 29 goal contributions this season (11 goals, 18 assists) after posting 31 last season en route to the MVP award. 

He is one goal contribution away from becoming the fourth player in MLS history to record multiple seasons with 30 or more goal contributions.

MATCH PREDICTION: INTER MIAMI WIN

Inter Miami won their first four matches against Cincinnati between 2020 and 2021, only to lose four of five against them in MLS since the start of the 2022 season (one draw), including the last three in a row.

However, the Herons have won five straight home matches in all competitions, scoring multiple goals in each of those victories.

This is their joint longest home winning streak in all competitions in club history, having also won five in a row between July and September 2021.

Miami have also scored 56 goals in 25 regular-season matches this term, and have won as many games without Messi appearing as they have with him (eight).

Cincinnati lost their last away match to the New York Red Bulls on July 20 by a 3-1 scoreline. They have not lost back-to-back road games in all competitions in over two years, since an eight-match losing streak that spanned the end of 2021 and the start of 2022.

However, they enter Saturday's match as outsiders, with Miami doing a decent job of coping without Messi this term.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Inter Miami – 48.7%

FC Cincinnati – 25.5%

Draw – 25.7%

Jannik Sinner began his Cincinnati Open campaign with a hard-fought 6-4 7-5 win over Alex Michelsen, bouncing back from his injury scare at the Canadian Open last week.

Sinner fell to a quarter-final defeat to Andrey Rublev in Montreal last time out, appearing to struggle with a hip issue throughout that loss after missing the Paris Olympics due to a bout of tonsillitis. 

However, the Italian played down any concerns over his fitness ahead of his last-32 match in Cincinnati, where he was pushed all the way by Michelsen but held firm to advance.

Sinner had to save eight break points in one hour and 52 minutes on court, committing as many unforced errors (19) as his American opponent.

However, breaks in the very first game of the opener and the penultimate game of the second set proved decisive for the Australian Open winner, who will now face either Sebastian Baez or Jordan Thompson for a quarter-final place.

Meanwhile, Stefanos Tsitsipas bounced back from his first-round Canadian Open exit at the hands of Kei Nishikori, fighting from a set and a break down to beat Jan-Lennard Struff 4-6 6-4 6-3.

Speaking after his win, Tsitsipas – who will face Jack Draper or Jaume Munar next – said: "I was down a break, and I managed to keep on fighting and get the break back. 

"Suddenly I felt like I was starting to figure out what really worked behind his serve. He made a few double faults, and I took that chance, got myself in the lead, and I think once I started reminding myself of my best qualities as a player, these things really started working."

Data Debrief: Sinner looking to stay perfect

Sinner's victory improved his record on hard courts to 25-2 for the season, and a first quarter-final berth at Cincinnati is now within his sights.

He has reached at least the last eight at all five ATP 1000 Masters tournaments he has played this year, though his only such title came in Miami in March.

Jannik Sinner played down any injury concerns and said he was looking forward to starting his Cincinnati Open campaign this week.

Sinner fell to a quarter-final defeat to Andrey Rublev at the Canadian Open in Montreal and was seen holding his hip at various stages of the encounter.

Nevertheless, the world number one said his only real concern was returning to the intensity of matches after skipping the Paris Olympics due to tonsillitis. 

"I feel quite good. Obviously, I made nearly one week without practising before, and then after playing for two-three days in a row, a bit more than usual, (that) could (have had) a potential impact to the hip," Sinner told reporters.

"But I'm not afraid. I feel good with the hip, and I'm just looking forward to going back on court here."

Sinner holds a poor record in Cincinatti, having never advanced to the quarter-finals, and was the victim of a shock loss to Dusan Lajovic in the round of 32 last year. 

However, the Italian is confident of a better run this time around, starting with an opening against either Tallon Griekspoor or Alex Michelsen. 

"Here usually I struggle a little bit to play because of the conditions but I'm looking forward to see my reaction this year, because it's a great test," said Sinner. 

The Australian Open champion believes a good tournament can act as a perfect platform for the final slam of the year in New York, which begins at the end of this month.

"I believe this tournament can give you a lot of confidence for the US Open, which is the last grand slam we have," Sinner said.  

"So in my mind, this is a very important tournament. "We go day by day. I have a couple of days to prepare and hopefully show some good tennis."

FC Cincinnati head coach Dominic Kinnear remains optimistic about their chances of topping the table despite suffering a third consecutive defeat.

Cincinnati lost 3-1 to the New York Red Bulls in MLS on Saturday, after two goals from Lewis Morgan on either side of Kyle Duncan's strike.

Corey Baird scored a consolation for the visitors but could not inspire a comeback as they slipped five points behind Eastern Conference leaders Inter Miami, who beat Chicago Fire 2-1.

Cincinnati have not won since a 6-1 thrashing of the Herons at the start of July, losing the following three by an aggregate score of 7-2, but Kinnear is unbothered by the team's recent form.

"I think this is our second road loss of the year, which is remarkable, so I think we know who we have, but we have a lot of players missing," Kinnear said.

"It's difficult to go three games in a week with players missing. We've shown in 25 games in the league that we're one of the better teams in the league, and we will not step back from that."

Columbus Crew are just five points behind Cincinnati, with two games in hand over them heading into the Leagues Cup break.

Pat Noonan's side are still targeting a top-spot finish despite their recent slump, and Kinnear believes this defeat will serve them well if they end up having to play on the road in the playoffs.

"This could be a preview of a playoff game," he said. "We've played these guys in the playoffs before, so you've got to be battle-tested to want to beat these guys, which we've done in the past, but also be battle-tested to win on the road in the playoffs.

"We are hoping to finish top of our conference to get that home playoff game, but sometimes that may not happen, and you have to come out on the road."

FC Cincinnati defender DeAndre Yedlin is hoping his team-mates can rediscover their competitive edge as they travel to the Red Bull Arena to face New York Red Bulls this weekend.

The Orange and Blue were forced to relinquish top spot in the Eastern Conference table as they fell to a 1-0 defeat against Chicago Fire courtesy of Brian Gutierrez’s second half winner.

Cincinnati are now two points behind Inter Miami, who overcame their 6-1 defeat to Pat Noonan’s side last week with a convincing triumph over Toronto FC in midweek.

With Columbus Crew breathing down their necks and going to within five points of them with two games in hand, Yedlin insisted that his squad must rally together to rekindle that winning formula.

"We expect to win every game. It doesn't matter who we have on the field," Yedlin said.

"Since I've been at this club, I've noticed that the foundation of the club is hard work, is competing, is effort and then the little things sprinkled on top of that − the stuff that 'Lucho' can do, pulling stuff out of the hat.

“For whatever reason, the last few games it feels like that's a little off. There's nobody from the outside that can fix that. It's on us. It's on us to look deep within the team and find that competitiveness again."

For the Red Bulls, they extended their unbeaten run in the MLS to seven matches with their draw against CF Montreal last time out.

Sandro Schwarz’s side have drawn six of those games, however, and find themselves losing touch to the sides above them in the division.

The Red Bulls are currently fourth in the Eastern Conference, 10 points behind this weekend’s opponents with the possibility of dropping out of the top four should they fail to find a win on home soil.

Schwarz bemoaned his side’s lack of clinical nature in the final third, admitting the draw with Montreal left a bad feeling among his squad heading into their next encounter.

"It was a good game," Schwarz said. "But at the end, it's 2-2, and it's two less than if we play like the first 60, 65 minutes.

“Then you want to win. Then you want to go home with three points and that's it. And today, it's a bad feeling for us."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

NYRB – Wikelman Carmona

Having registered just two goal contributions in his first 10 MLS games this season, Wikelman Carmona now has two goals and an assist in his last six league outings.

Carmona scored the Red Bulls’ opener against Montreal last time out, and has lost just one of his four previous encounters with Cincinnati (W2, D1).

FC Cincinnati – Yuya Kubo                                      

In the absence of talisman Luciano Acosta, Yuya Kubo will take on the responsibility of providing an attacking threat for Cincinnati in the final third.

Kubo has scored nine goals in 22 appearances for Noonan’s side this season, scoring in the reverse fixture between the two sides. However, the 30-year-old has won just one of his previous eight meetings with the Red Bulls (D3, L4).

MATCH PREDICTION: DRAW

Cincinnati will be hopeful of returning to winning ways having lost back-to-back home games but have found comfort playing away from home.

Noonan’s side have won their last seven games away from the TQL Stadium, having taken just six points from their last five home fixtures.

The Red Bulls have won two of their last five encounters against Cincinnati (D1, L2), hoping to equal their last unbeaten streak which was eight matches between September – October 2021.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

NYRB – 38.6%

Draw – 26.5%

FC Cincinnati – 34.9%

FC Cincinnati made a statement of intent as they hammered Inter Miami 6-1 to take the lead in MLS' Eastern Conference.

Cincinnati, the reigning Supporters' Shield champions, ended Miami's fine run of form in sensational style on Saturday.

Five different scorers netted for the home side, who are now a point clear of Miami in the standings, with Yuya Kubo helping himself to a double.

Serhii Kryvtsov got the Herons' only goal of the match, cancelling out Kubo's opener.

However, quickfire efforts from Luciano Acosta, Pavel Bucha and Yamil Asad put Cincinnati in complete control by the interval.

And an emphatic victory was wrapped up when Kubo added his second before youngster Gerardo Valenzuela got in on the act with his first senior goal.

A dismal night for Miami was capped off when Sergio Busquets saw red after picking up two quick yellows for dissent, and Gerardo Martino's team – who are still without star players Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez – will have to swiftly bounce back.

Data Debrief: Double-double

Kubo took centre stage with his brace, but Acosta, last season's MVP, was again integral for Cincinnati.

Acosta has now provided 15 assists in MLS this season (more than any other player) after he teed up Bucha's goal from a corner, while he has also scored 10 times himself.

He had 101 touches and played six key passes in this game, as Cincinnati proved they are still the team to beat in the East.

FC Cincinnati coach Pat Noonan is relishing going up against Inter Miami in an enthralling clash at the top of MLS.

Eastern Conference leaders Miami, who will be without Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez due to their continued Copa America duties, visit Cincinnati on Saturday.

The defending Supporters' Shield champions are second in the East, just two points behind Miami.

Both teams have won four of their last five league games, and Noonan is anticipating a stern test of his team's quality.

"They're a very deep team. You can see with key pieces missing the team that they're fielding is very strong," Noonan said.

"There's a reason they're still winning games and doing it home and away.

"They have a lot of quality and a lot of guys that have played meaningful minutes and now are getting more consistent starts.

"But they still look very strong and will be a great test for us."

Cincinnati have a game in hand on Miami, and come into the clash on the back of a record-setting 3-2 win over D.C. United. 

Noonan's team have now won seven straight away matches.

"I give the guys credit because we've gone on the road two games here and gotten results, and it's not easy to do," Noonan said after the win.

"I told them before the game... 'You guys are a good team on the road,' and it might not always be the way we want it to look.

"That's credit to the opponent, that's credit to going on the road in tough atmospheres, but you have to be able to adjust at times and adapt to the conditions, and I think they do a good job of that."

The task for Cincinnati now is to repeat that form at home.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

FC Cincinnati - Luciano Acosta

Acosta has been involved in seven goals (three goals, four assists) in his last four home matches. Since the start of the 2022 season, Acosta has been involved in 52 goals in regular-season home matches (23 goals, 29 assists), seven more than any other player in that time.

Inter Miami - Jordi Alba

With Messi and Suarez absent, fellow superstar Alba has been helping to plug the gap.

He scored a stunner against Nashville SC last week, and adds another potent threat even from left-back.

MATCH PREDICTION: CINCINNATI WIN

Miami have won 11 of their last 14 matches (D2 L1) including the last four in a row. All four wins in Miami’s current run have been by 2-1 scorelines.

But Cincinnati are made the slight favourites for this one.

The win over D.C. was their 11th win in their last 13 matches (L2). The only team in the post-shootout era (since 2000) to record 12 wins in a span of 14 matches in a single regular season was the Seattle Sounders in July-October 2018.

Miami won each of their first four matches against Cincinnati in 2020 and 2021. Since the start of the 2022 season, however, Cincinnati are unbeaten in four regular-season meetings with Miami (W3 D1).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

FC Cincinnati - 43.7%

Inter Miami - 29.5%

Draw - 26.8%

Pat Noonan believes it was important for FC Cincinnati's confidence to keep a clean sheet at FC Dallas last time out, saying fans must trust the process ahead of their midweek trip to D.C United.

Cincinnati claimed their sixth straight road victory last time out by a 1-0 scoreline, returning to winning ways following a 2-1 defeat at home to the New England Revolution.

The Supporters' Shield holders are just two points behind this year's pacesetters Inter Miami despite their squad going through something of an overhaul in pre-season.

While Noonan is pleased with his team's defensive resilience, he also feels there is much more to come.

"We've lost a couple of key pieces and we're trying to find our best group each game. We're still trying to find answers," Noonan said. 

"No question it was important for the confidence of the group… but also not weathering the storm for 90 minutes and just conceding chance after chance, that wasn't the case.

"It's going to be a game-by-game process. 

"I hate to say the word process, but with a particular group of players trying to get better and understand the relationships and the roles, we have to figure out a way to continue to be strong with what we have."

D.C., meanwhile, are 13th in the East after going nine games without a win, though they did avoid a fourth straight loss by drawing 2-2 with the New York Red Bulls on Saturday.

Asked how he felt after that game, coach Troy Lesesne said: "No mixed emotions. I'm incredibly proud of the group, they showed the kind of character and integrity that we want to have under challenging circumstances.

"They fought, and I think that is exactly what is necessary for us to get ourselves into a better position in the table.

"There's a long way to go in 2024 and we're going to keep fighting."

PLAYERS TO WATCH 

D.C. United – Pedro Santos 

Santos scored D.C. United's second goal in their 2-2 draw with the Red Bulls from a direct free-kick.

It was just the second direct free-kick goal for the club in the last five years, with Yordy Reyna scoring the other one against Atlanta United in August 2021.

FC Cincinnati – Luca Orellano

Orellano netted his fifth goal of the season last time out as Cincinnati got back to winning ways in Dallas. 

Only Luciano Acosta (nine) and Yuya Kubo (seven) have more in MLS for the team this year.

MATCH PREDICTION: FC CINCINNATI WIN

D.C. United are winless in nine straight matches, drawing three and losing six. They last had a longer winless run in regular-season play in 2013 and 2014, a 15-match span that included 12 games without a win to end the 2013 campaign.

Cincinnati are excellent travellers and enter this match as big favourites.

They are the third team in the post-shootout era (since 2000) to win six straight on the road in regular-season MLS play, and could tie the record of seven with another victory here, set by CF Montreal from July to October 2022. 

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

D.C. United – 22.4%

FC Cincinnati – 55.5%

Draw – 22.1%