New York City FC returns to Yankee Stadium for the first time since early April to face FC Cincinnati in the second of three consecutive MLS home games on Wednesday.
The Pigeons are winless in their previous six competitive matches, having lost 3-1 at home to the Philadelphia Union on Saturday, while Cincy now leads the Supporters' Shield standings by five points after a 1-0 victory over the Colorado Rapids.
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A pair of defensive blunders late in the first half against Philadelphia was all it took for NYCFC to lose control of the game, resulting in their first-ever regular-season defeat at Citi Field.
The Boys in Blue have had a lot of success at Citi Field, but they've also had a lot of success at Yankee Stadium, collecting at least a point in 11 consecutive regular season games in the Bronx and winning two of their three games there in 2023.
With just one point from their previous five league games, they have had their longest winless streak in this competition since Cushing took over last June, and they have not suffered consecutive regular-season defeats in New York since 2015 (two).
After 14 matches, NYCFC has only picked up 16 points, the second-fewest for the Pigeons at this stage of the regular season.
FC Cincinnati is the team to beat in MLS right now, having gone unbeaten in nine consecutive games in all competitions and suffering only one domestic setback all year.
Their win over the Rapids on Saturday gave them 33 points for the season, making them only the fifth team in league history to do so after 14 games, and the first since the Los Angeles Galaxy in 2010, with a goal difference of +8.
The dark days of Major League Soccer in Cincinnati, when the Orange and Blue finished dead last in its first three domestic seasons, appear to be over, as the Orange and Blue have only lost three of their previous 34 regular-season games under Pat Noonan.
Here GOAL brings you everything you need to know about how to watch, including TV channel, streaming details and more.
New York City FC vs Cincinnati kick-off time
| Date: | May 31, 2023 |
| Kick-off time: | 7:30 pm ET / 4:30 pm PT |
| Venue: | Yankee Stadium |
New York City FC and Cincinnati face off on May 31 at Yankee Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7:30 pm Eastern Time (ET), or 4:30 pm Pacific Time (PT).
How to watch New York City FC vs Cincinnati online - TV channels & live streams
 | Apple TV | Watch here |
The game will not be broadcast live on TV but will be available to stream live online through Apple TV MLS Season Pass.
Team news & squads
NYCFC team news
New York City has Matias Pellegrini and Tony Alfaro unavailable due to injuries. Telles Magno has failed to score in the last five outings and has been overtaken as the club's top scorer by Gabriel Pereira and Santiago Rodriguez.
New York City FC possible XI: Barraza; Gray, Martins, Chanot, Cufre; Ledezma, Sands, Parks; Pereira, Rodriguez, Magno.
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Barraza, Fresse |
| Defenders | Cufre, Chanot, Martins, Ilenic, O'Toole, Amundsen, Turnbull, Alfaro |
| Midfielders | Parks, Sands, Pellegrini, Pereira, Jansson, Magno, Rodriguez, Haak, Andrade |
| Forwards | Segal |
Cincinnati team news
Kenneth Vermeer, who has not featured for Cincinnati since July due to a torn muscle, is set to miss out on Tuesday's game as well. Luciano Acosta has been in fine form in front of the goal and has been the club's top scorer with five goals to his name.
Cincinnati possible XI: Celentano; Hagglund, Miazga, Mosquera; Gaddis, Nwobodo, Moreno, Barreal; Acosta, Santos, Vazquez.
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Celentano, Kann |
| Defenders | Hagglund, Miazga, Mosquera, Arias, Powell, Murphy, Gaddis |
| Midfielders | Moreno, Nwobodo, Barreal, Acosta, Kubo, Angulo |
| Forwards | Vazquez, Santos, Brenner, Ordonez, Badji |
Head-to-Head Record
The last five games between New York City FC and Cincinnati have ended with two wins for the Pigeons and one for Cincinnati. Their last encounter ended 1-0 to Cincinnati in the US Open Cup round of 32 earlier this month.