FC Cincinnati 2 has earned the Team of Matchday 24 honor after securing a crucial 2-0 victory over NYCFC II. FCC2, playing in front of a rowdy crowd of supporters at TQL Stadium, showed remarkable determination and to kept their playoff hopes alive by earning the three points.
FCC2 midfielder Jesus Castellano opened the scoresheet in the 32nd minute with a skillful finish, giving the home side the lead and earning Castellano his third goal of the season.
In the 53rd minute, midfielder Malik Pinto added to FC Cincinnati 2's lead, knocking in his third goal of the campaign after a great set up by Castellano in front of goal.
A lot of the credit for the victory needs to be given to the FC Cincinnati 2 defense, who was in top form against NYCFC II. Goalkeeper Paul Walters made seven saves, including a critical penalty stop in the 87th minute. This pivotal moment prevented a late NYCFC II comeback and secured FC Cincinnati 2's second clean sheet this season.
FCC2 Head Coach Tyrone Marshall had this to say about his squad after the game: "I was really really excited for the boys tonight, especially playing in front of the home fans in TQL Stadium. No better feeling than to come out of here with a result. It doesn't matter if we didn't look good or we didn't play the prettiest soccer that we wanted to play, but I tell you what—tonight you saw a group of boys that were resilient. They came to battle."
After securing their second victory in the last three matches, FCC2, currently in twelfth place in the East, must continue to gather points to avoid elimination. But with their current run of form, Tyrone Marshall's men look like a team ready to fight until the end.
Next up for FCC2 is a road visit to Atlanta United 2 on September 2. You can catch all the MLS NEXT Pro action on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
