The Red Bulls and Cincinnati drew both meetings 1-1 this season. Three of the last five matches between the sides have ended in draws, with each team winning, 1-0, against the other on the road. In fact, the last home win in the series came in March 2020, a 3-2 Red Bulls win in Harrison.
Neither team has scored more than one goal in any of the last five meetings, with a total of six goals being scored over those games. Both meetings this season opened with a goal by Cincinnati only to see the Red Bulls equalize within 10 minutes with all four goals coming in the opening 30 minutes.
The Red Bulls are in the playoffs for the 13th straight season, equaling an MLS record. New York has failed to make it out of the first round in any of the last three seasons, however, losing by a one-goal margin each time, including twice in extra time. All three of those matches were on the road, however, as New York will host a playoff for the first time since 2018. The Red Bulls have won six of the last nine postseason matches at Red Bull Arena.
FC Cincinnati is making its first playoff appearance after setting club records for points (49), wins (12), and goals (64) and goal difference + 8. Cincinnati collected more points this season (49) than it did in its first two full MLS seasons (44, excluding 2020) combined. Cincinnati lost just two of its final 20 games this season(W4 D12), the fewest defeats in MLS following the early June international break.
Lewis Morgan led the Red Bulls with 14 goals this season, nearly three times more than any other player (P. Klimala, Luquinhas – 5 each) including a goal against Cincinnati from the penalty spot in July. The only Red Bulls player with more goals in a season over the last ten years was Bradley Phillips-Wright, who recorded five straight seasons with at least 17 goals from 2014 to 2018.
Brenner scored his third hat-trick of the season on Decision Day against D.C. United, becoming the sixth player in MLS history to score three hat-tricks in a single season. His three goals took him to 18 on the season while Brandon Vazquez also scored his 18th goal of the season on Sunday. Brenner and Vazquez are the first pair of teammates to each score 18 goals in a single season in MLS history.
