FC Cincinnati recorded a 3-1 home win against the Union on August 6, its first win over Philadelphia in MLS. The Union won five of the first seven meetings (D2), though their match in Chester on June 18ended in a 1-1 draw. Cincinnati is the only Eastern Conference team the Union failed to beat this season.
The Union recorded clean sheet victories in each of their first three home matches against FC Cincinnati in MLS, winning the three game by an aggregate score of 7-0. They went ahead in the match in Chester this season before Brandon Vazquez equalized in the 39th minute for Cincinnati’s first goal at Subaru Park after 308 minutes of lay without scoring.
The Union completed one of the most dominant home season in MLS history, collecting 41 points (W12 D5 L0), tied for fourth most in a season, scoring 49 goals, equaling the Crew’s MLS record set in 1998 and finishing with a goal difference of +40, breaking the previous record of 10. The Union enter the playoffs on a nine-match home winning streak, tied for the longest in a single season in club history, though the previous mark leading into the 2020 playoffs, ended with a loss to the Revolution in the first round.
FC Cincinnati came from behind in its first postseason match to beat the Red Bulls, 2-1, on Saturday, becoming the seventh expansion team to advance in its first playoff round. The only two expansion teams to advance in their first two postseason rounds were the Fire (won MLS Cup) in 1998 and Nashville (won play-in and first round) in 2020.
Daniel Gazdag set Union single season records for both goal (22) and goal contributions (32) this season. Gazdag scored 15 goals in the last 15 games of the season, though one of the four matches he failed to scored in was against Cincinnati on August 6. Gazdag, Mikael Uhre (14) and Julian Carranza (13) combined for 49 goals this season. Only three sets of three teammates have combined for more goals in a single MLS season.
Luciano Acosta and Brandon Vazquez scored Cincinnati’s goals in its comeback win over the Red Bulls on Saturday. Either Acosta, Vazquez or Brenner has scored Cincinnati’s last 14 MLS goals dating back to September 10, while only one of the 22 goals (excluding own goals) Cincinnati has scored since August 27 has not been either scored, assisted or both, by any of the three.
